


Family First

by Pwrites



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: F/M, M/M, children of the losers club
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2018-08-31
Packaged: 2019-01-15 14:22:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 43,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12322728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pwrites/pseuds/Pwrites
Summary: Emily Tozier knew one thing. Her father loved her as if she was his own. Yet, secrets and lies kept for years will push her into finding out the truth about her real father and his connection with Richie.





	1. Chapter 1

“Good morning Los Angeles! Another sunny day in beautiful So Cal. I am your hostess with the mostess Richie Tozier.” 

“Ugh.” The groggy sound came from under the covers of the Tozier home. Up high beyond the trees woke a tired young teen desperately wanting five more minutes. She cracked one eye open at the alarm clock on her bedside table. The time six thirty was displayed on the clock, blinking rapidly. She closed her eyes and covered her head from the glaring sunlight bouncing off the apartment walls. 

“Now before I get started with the morning line up I would like to tell my loving daughter to get her lazy but up before she is late to school. You know I love you sweetie but Mondays are not sick days.” The girl let out a louder groan before throwing the blankets from her body.

“Okay, okay. You aren’t even here Jeeze.”

“Love you Emily darling.” Emily could hear her father’s kissing noise over the radio clock. He always knew when to wake her up. Soon after the kissing noises faded, music began to play over the radio. Emily lightly tapped her cheeks before getting up. She made her way through the brightly lit bedroom into the bathroom. Before entering she picked up a photo of her and Richie. The picture captured the moment of her third birthday. Many people were around her but her father was the most important. He always kept her close and others far away.  
Once in the bathroom Emily began combing her long brown hair, a striking difference compared to her father’s jet-black hair. To be quite honest, everything about her was different than her father. She was well mannered while he was all over the place. She had straight long hair whole his was curly a challenge to comb. Emily found that she would control what her father ate due to his high cholesterol. Regardless of their difference, they were closer than most. Her father was her rock, the only family she had ever known. 

“Hello?” The sudden sound made Emily jump. Who the fuck was in her house? She ran to the bat by her bed and slowly walked out of her room. She took every step with caution. The apartment was over fifteen thousand square feet so there were many places a person could be hiding. Emily looked around the corner and saw nothing, she slowly entered the kitchen. The hardwood floors felt freezing under her bare feet. She looked around to see no one behind the marble counter or by the table. A sudden bang made her turn with her bat held high. A girlish scream held her back from swinging.

“Don’t hit me this nose is new.” Emily lowered her bat when she realized it was a blonde young woman. She looked to be in her late twenties, way too young for her father’s age. She was wearing a wrinkled party dress that smelled like alcohol. Emily rolled her eyes before setting the bat on the counter.

“I won’t hit you. I just didn’t realize someone else was here.” An awkward silence grew as the young blonde realized who Emily was.

“You must be Richie’s daughter.” Emily rolled her eyes. This statement was nothing new to her. 

“In the flesh.” Emily continued with her day acting like the woman wasn’t there. She began to make herself some breakfast. She threw some eggs in a pan and waited until they cooked. The silence between the two girls was not new to Emily but she could tell the blonde was uncomfortable.

“So, you are in high school right?” Oh, she must really like him. Not many girls try to get to know Emily after a one-night stand. Emily kind of felt bad for the girl. Richie was not the committed type.

“Yeah, junior.” Emily finished cooking the eggs and began to prepare the toast. She placed two pieces of bread in the toaster before opening the cupboard to retrieve plates.

“That is a big year. Do you have a college in mind?” This girl was really trying. Most stopped after the are you in high school question. While this was not Emily’s first rodeo she never could hate the girls her dad brought home. Most of the time they were decent enough, she only kicked out the ones who were rude. Those usually left on their own though.

“Not yet, dads going to take me touring during spring break.” Emily separated the eggs onto two plates. Once the toast was done she wiped them with some low-calorie butter and gave it to the girl. 

“Thanks. That is very sweet.” The girl smiled at Emily as if she had done something right. 

“As much as I would like to chat I have school to get ready for. You can stay here till you finish. Do not leave the plate on the table rinse it and lay it out to dry. I am going to eat in there.” Emily pointed to her room before making eye contact with the woman. The blonde nodded in response. Emily began walking to her room but was stopped when the hopeless romantic spoke again.

“Do you think your dad is going to call me later?” Emily could tell the girl was hopefully.

“Where did you meet him?”

“The bar.”

“No.” Emily didn’t even look back to see the woman’s crushed expression. Instead, she walked into her room and continued to get ready.  
An hour had passed and the one-night blonde show was gone. She did as she was told, the plate laid next to the sink drying. Emily gathered her keys and backpack she paused to send a text to her father.

“Next time warn me before you bring home Barbie.” She watched as the dots appeared at the bottom of the screen before Richie’s words appeared.

“Sorry kiddo, I’ll make sure to do that next time. ; D” Emily let out an amused scoff before putting her phone in her pocket. She made her way to the door but stopped to look at the dark wooden doors at the opposite side of the room. Richie’s office stood behind them. Since she was born she was not allowed to go into that room. For years and years, she dreamed about what could be in that room. A national treasure? A dead body? Maybe the dog she always wanted? Who knows. Richie wasn’t a scholar, he didn’t need an office anyways. Yet, every night he would close himself off from her to be in that room. Her phone ringing halted her thoughts. She looked down at the phone before answering.

“Okay, okay I’m coming jeeze.”

“Did you listen to your dad this morning?” Emily looked up at her best friend Kelly from across the lunch table. She had known Kelly since kindergarten. They traded juice boxes once and were tied at the hip since. 

“How could you not? He was annoying the fuck out of Johnny Depp. It was great.” Alexa, the girl next to Kelly was another story. They became friends with her in the beginning of high school and Emily didn’t see their friendship continuing after. She had the hots for her dad which was creepy considering he was fifty-seven. “Like his comment making fun of why we need a Pirates of The Caribbean eight was spot on.” Emily rolled her eyes before commenting.

“Okay, chill with your obsession with my dad please.” Emily had told Alexa how much it bothered her but the girl never stopped. 

“Oh come on how could I not? He is becoming a silver fox. It’s not like he is your real dad anyways.” Emily really wish she could stuff her salad in Alexa’s face. Kelly looked at Emily with concern. Everyone knew she was adopted. It was obvious she looked nothing like him but Richie loved her like she was his own. 

“Yeah well it doesn’t matter. He is my dad and he is all I need.” Emily felt her heart sink at the lie she just told. If she was being honest she wanted to know about her real father and mother. Richie never told her about them, all he would say is that she wasn’t abandoned as a baby. He adopted her right away. Yet, how could she not be? When she was thirteen she saved up her money to do an ancestor test. She spent one hundred dollars to only learn she originated from England. It was not one of Emily’s best moments. 

“Are you still looking for him, you know your real dad?” Kelly touched Emily’s hand to comfort her. Kelly knew what she was asking was hard. There were many nights where Kelly help Emily as she cried about who she was and where she came from. Emily smiled at Kelly before taking a stab at her salad. 

“I am planning to ask my dad about it again. It is getting close to that time of the year.” Emily first noticed the pattern when she was five. There was a week-long period where Richie was at his worst. He would begin to smoke cigarettes and lock himself up in the office for hours at a time. He always made sure Emily was cared for. Nannies would be more frequent until she was old enough to take care of herself. However, she saw how in pain her father was and it killed her to never know the reason. It was as if someone died every year and he was grieving. They would be having dinner and then suddenly his eyes would cloud over. Richie would begin to cry and excuse himself from the table. He would lock himself in the office, he would lock himself away from Emily.  
The rest of the school day past in a blur. Emily walked into the apartment smelling a one of her favorite meal. Chinese takeout. She looked at the dinner table to see a collection of take out boxes 

“Will you forgive me?” She looked up to see Richie Tozier with his arms open. For an older man, he was fit. Many say he mastered the art of aging through botox or secret Asian face masks but he never used those things. When he smiled you could see the lines appear under his eyes and mouth. His hair was still black but would begin to gray here and there until he got it dyed. He was not the most attractive man but his personality made him a magnet towards women.

“You could have texted me before you left.”

“I know, I know I was running late. Those four am shifts can be killer. But..” Her father bent down on his knees in a dramatic display. He held Emily’s hand before wiping away fake tears. “Will you forgive me light of my life? The peanut butter to my jelly, the moon to my sun.”

“That depends.” Emily lowered her gaze towards the food on the table. “Did you get eggrolls.”

“I got all the eggrolls.”

“Okay, I forgive you.” Richie jumped up in celebration before giving Emily a big hug.”

“I love you so much Eds!” Emily felt his arms grow tighter around her. She almost couldn’t breathe. 

“Don’t call me that.” Emily whined but felt her father stiffen. He moved away from Emily and placed his hands on her shoulders. She never understood why he gave her the middle name Ed. It sounded so stupid, Emily Ed Tozier. When she told him to stop it would always end the same way. She could see the pain in his eyes before he turned away. She knew it wasn’t meant for her, it was something he knew that she didn’t.

“Let us begin the feast!”  
They continued the rest of the night eating and watching reality television. It was a nightly ritual of where they judged the lives they pretty much live. Her father did a morning radio show that woke her up every morning. When he isn’t annoying people over the radio, he is annoying them on talk shows and comedy skits. He may not be as rich as some of the reality stars but Richie and Emily were more than comfortable. They had lived in the apartment for ten years now. Many people asked Emily why her father never bought a house. She would always shrug and say he wasn’t a fan. Yet, she never really knew the whole reason. Emily never met her grandparents. They lived in California but seemed to only want Richie when he had money to give. Her father said it was best she never met them since they were anything but friendly. She never questioned him. 

“Hey, dad.”

“Yeah?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot my darling.” Emily hated his little nicknames almost as much as when he called her Eds. She didn’t react this time because an overwhelming sense of nerves took priority.

“I was wondering, now that I am older. If I could learn more about my first parents.” She made sure not to say the words real. The room went silent other than the bickering of the reality stars. They were fighting over some shoe deal that the other sibling stole. 

“Why do you want to know?” 

“I just, want to see what they are like. I’m just curious.” The girls were screaming on the television now. The camera angles focus on their movements. 

“I thought we discussed this before.” His voice lost the cheerful tone it use to have. Emily felt her breathing hitch.

“Not really. You always change the subject and I really think we should talk about this seriously.” The reality stars were fighting on the floor now grabbing each other’s hair.

“Are you not happy with your life?” 

“Of course I am Dad. I just want to know who my parents were. Even a picture would help.” Emily could tell that help was not the right word. Richie got up and placed the plate in the sink loudly. It caused the plate to break.

“Shit.” He muttered to himself as he began to gather the pieces and throw it in the trash.

“Dad please.”

“No, Emily we are not talking about this right now.”

“Then when? Give me a time. Give me a date.” She watched as her father began putting the food away. She realized he would shut her out soon. 

“I can’t give you a date okay. Those people do not matter. I raised you and if you cannot accept that then we have a bigger problem to deal with.” He began to raise the sleeves of his long sleeve tee. Emily watched the cotton sleeve lift to reveal the tattoo that he tried to hide from her. His forearm displayed dark black letters spelling out loser. They were not neat, it was as if a child wrote it. The s had a sharp red v trying to change the word to lover. It was a tattoo that Emily had seen before but not fully. It would slip if he was doing the dishes or rubbing his arm. It was the only tattoo he had and it had meaning. A meaning Emily needed to know. 

“What about this?” Emily grabbed his arm, letting the light shine on the dark ink. “You let these women see it but you won’t tell me what it means?” I have a right to know I’m your daughter.” Emily felt tears beginning to fall as she looked up at her father for answers. She was tired of not knowing, she was tired of being in the dark. Her father looked just as hurt as she did. He looked like he was caught up in a mix of emotions she couldn’t describe. His mouth opened as if he was going to explain it all to her. She felt a surge of hope before it died in her stomach as he closed his mouth. He turned away, heading towards his office. 

“Another time.” 

The doors slammed behind him making the wall between them that much thicker. She thought she knew her father she thought they were close. Yet, as she got older and more questions passed without answers, she felt like she was losing the only family she had. Emily ran to her room. She closed the door and slid down the back of it. She let herself cry before looking at her phone and dialing Kelly’s number. This wasn’t the first time and it wouldn’t be the last.


	2. Taking A Chance

“Emily, wake up.” The voice got no response as the teen continued to enjoy her slumber. 

“Eds come on. “Hands began to inch closer to Emily’s arms nearing her armpits. Emily woke from the tickling sensation in her arms. She almost jumped out of her bed, arms flying everywhere.

“Whoa, what, who?” Richie grabbed her hand to calm her down, letting her know she was safe. She let out a deep breath before looking at her father. “What was that for? I could have died from oxygen loss you know what tickling does to me.” Richie laughed before patting his daughters head.

“You will be fine young one. You will not die by tickling, not on my watch.” Emily smiled knowing that her father was in a better mood. She looked at the clock to see that it was three in the morning.

“Is everything okay?” Emily knew he had work in an hour and that it was rare for him to wake her up this early unless it was Christmas. 

“Yeah, I just want to say sorry for last night. I should not have snapped at you like that.”

“Our fight was more interesting than any shoe brawl daddy-o.” Richie widened his eyes at her choice of words.

“I thought I was the old geezer here.” They both laughed before the room grew silent. She was waiting for what he had to say. Emily knew he wouldn’t wake her up at three in the morning just for an apology. “So, I thought about what you said. I should not have kept my tattoo away from you.” Richie pushed up his sleeve to display the tattoo he kept hidden for years. Emily inched closer to get a better view. 

“Is there a reason it looks like a child wrote it?” She tried to be as polite as possible but she was surprised this would be his one and only tattoo. “I’m sorry, I never saw you as a tattooed dad.” 

“I didn’t either.” He laughed before continuing. “I got this when I was forty-two. I had, well, have a group of friends. We called our group the losers club. I have a hard time remembering them all. It is hard to explain but there will be times where I remember their names but not their faces or their faces, not their names.” She could see the confusion in his eyes as he laid them on the v covering the s. 

“Is that a sign of memory loss?” Richie nudged Emily playfully. She was kidding of course. Her father remembered everything, every birthday, every holiday, every script. It was a peculiar thing for him to forget something so significant. 

“One of my friends broke their arm and this girl wrote loser on his cast. Her name was Greta Bowie. She was a bitch if I ever saw one.” 

“Dad.”

“Hey, I am just saying the truth here. Your old man wasn’t always this attractive and popular. My friends and I got bullied all the time but I was always the funny one.” Emily rolled her eyes at his last comment.

“I bet they would say otherwise.” Emily was excited that for the first time she was learning something about her father’s past. She wanted to ask more but was afraid she would never have this opportunity again. “Did you know my birth parents?” The room grew quiet and for a second Emily thought she made a mistake. Richie’s smile dropped as he traced the letters on his skin as if trying to recreate the memory of receiving it.

“I do. Your birth mother not so much.”

“But my father?”

“Okay, we are done for the day. Plus, you need to get some sleep before my exquisite vocals wake you from your slumber.” Emily pouted in response before receiving a kiss on the forehead by Richie. 

“Good morning dad.”

“Good morning Eds! Have a great day at school.” While she didn’t get the answer she really wanted she was happy that she felt that much closer to her father. She turned the lamp off and settled back under the covers. She had so many new questions rushing through her brain. Who are the losers club? Could one of them be her real father? She may not get those answers right away but she would make sure to get them eventually.  
After that night they did not discuss anything more about her real parents or the losers club. Months passed filled with conversation about colleges. Richie was excited about them all, especially buying a dad shirt at the school of her choice. His office remained closed and Emily felt her hope for answers fading away as spring break grew closer. It was a Monday when she found something new. Richie had forgotten his phone at the apartment leaving an opportunity she couldn’t let go untouched. 

“Kelly, come up. I know we will be late for school but this is important.” Emily hung up her own phone before reaching for her father’s. Her stomach was in knots at the thought of him learning about Emily snooping through his phone. However, he used his phone less than most and would not have noticed that she put her thumbprint into the phone recognition system. The door opened revealing an out of breath Kelly.

 

“This better be good Emily. I need to get an A in English or my mom will throw a fit.” Kelly stopped talking once she saw Emily holding the phone. ‘Are you kidding me?” 

“No, please look this may be my only chance. We need to look through texts, emails, anything.” Kelly sighed before taking a seat next to Emily. They both looked at the phone. The screen was black and stood out on the dark brown table. Both girls just stared at it before Kelly gave Emily a confused look.

“Are you going to..”

“I am. I just, I’m nervous.” Emily felt her fingers begin to shake. What if she found nothing? She would have to live her life without knowing anything about where she came from. There was also the possibility that she finds too much. Kelly held Emily’s shaking hand in her own. Emily looked up and smiled knowing she was not doing this alone. “Thank you.”

“This better have the map to the lost city of Atlantis.” 

“More like memes.” Emily placed her thumb over the button and the phone came to life. His wallpaper was an old photo of them at Disneyland. A surge of guilt filled her chest before shaking it off. This needed to be done. She swiped the screen and began to look through his text messages. None seemed to have any information that she needed. Though, there were some pickup lines that made her cringe. After finding no results she moved on to emails. They spent the next five minutes going through store and work emails. They were close to giving up until an email with the subject birth certificate caught Emily’s eyes.

“I hope this isn’t some woman accusing your dad of being her baby daddy.” Emily snorted at Kelly’s comment secretly praying that wasn’t the case. With just a light touch the email opened. Inside was a thread of ongoing emails with a woman named Myra Kaspbrak. Richie was asking for her to provide him the physical copy of Emily’s birth certificate. Emily felt her pulse quicken at the realization of what this email contained. This could be her mother.

“I think this is it.” Both girls began to read the thread of emails with all their attention focused on the small screen in front of them.

“She doesn’t seem to be making it easy.” Kelly crinkled her nose as she reacted to the words in front of her. The woman would give short replies with no real depth to the conversation. Richie pleaded to the woman who seemed to not care. He had to threaten to talk to the police for her to finally agree to mail the certificate. 

“Kelly, grab my laptop from my room.” Kelly nodded before running towards Emily’s bedroom. She grabbed the laptop and returned to the table. Emily opened it up and entered the woman’s name in the search engine. A few links popped up. A website for limousine rentals was the first to show up. Under the website was Myra’s social media profile. Emily clicked right away but was unable to see anything due to not following her. However, under her photo, she displayed Queens New York.

“You think she could be your mom?”

“I think so. I mean who else would have my birth certificate?”

“What are you going to do?” That was the real question. What was Emily going to do with this new information? She could not confront her father. He would probably take it in the   
worst way and she never meant to hurt him. This woman may know the answers she has always wanted. Emily may even get to meet her father.

“I’m going to go see her.”

“Are you serious? Are you going to tell your Dad?” Emily shook her head pushing Richie’s phone away from her.

“I can’t he will think I’m trying to replace him and I’m not. He would not let me go, Kelly. I have to do this.” Kelly sighed before giving Emily a hug.

“Do you want me to go with you?”

“No. You have to go touring in Oregon I can’t ruin that.” Kelly smiled before squeezing Emily’s hands.

“Call me every day and update me. I want to solve this mystery just as much as you. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Both girls ended up getting to English late with no excuse that would not make the teacher confused. Emily couldn’t focus in any of her classes. Her mind was on   
the mysterious woman with the birth certificate. She worried about what the woman would be like. If the emails said anything about her it was that she was rude and unresponsive. Maybe if she saw Emily she would be more understanding and helpful. That night Emily took her laptop in her room and booked a plane ticket for New York. She had found the woman’s address through her father’s email. Emily had also saved up money from her job at the café down the street. Everything was set except for one thing. How was she going to tell her father? She decided a note would be the best way for her to be able to escape his wrath. She worried he wouldn’t understand and would kick her out when she got back. Her father loved her and tended to spoil her often but she also respected his wishes. Except when it came to her past. She began writing the note in bed but stopped when she heard a knock on the door.

“Permission to enter the Lady’s chambers?”

“Proceed good Sir.” Richie walked in and took a seat at the end of her bed. He had a big smile on his face which worried her. 

“You excited for Monday?” Emily smiled shyly making sure the note was hidden under her pillow.

“Yeah Dad! Ready for hours of touring.” 

“Oh come on it won’t be so bad. I wouldn’t mind if we took long at UCLA though.” 

“Dad, you know getting into college is not as easy anymore.”

“I know but you are a smart girl Eds. I am sure you can do it if you want it hard enough.” For the first time since she made this decision, she felt like hesitating. She could pretend she never saw that email and she could go tour colleges with her Dad. They could laugh at inside jokes and explore California. Yet, she knew it had to be done. 

“I love you Dad.” Emily felt tears begin to gather in her eyes. Richie’s eyes widened and began to panic.

“What’s wrong is it boys? Who do I need to beat up?” Emily laughed before rubbing one of her tear-filled eyes.

“No boys, I just love you very much Dad. Thank you for everything you do for me.” Emily moved towards Richie with her arms open. She hugged him tightly and inhaled his scent. She hated to be dramatic but depending on how he took it, it might be the last time she could have a hug like this.

“I love you too Emily, no matter what.” He kissed her head before leaving her room. She smiled until he closed the door. She brought out the note and did her best not to spill tears onto the paper. Her flight would be at ten in the morning. She took out a duffel bag and began to pack quietly after finishing the note. 

“Eds I’m home. You wouldn’t believe these ass hats at work today. I swear celebrates are really demons in disguise as attractive people.” Richie realized that he didn’t get a reply. He searched the apartment for Emily. She wasn’t in her room or the living room. He began to worry and tried to call her but her phone was off. After a few more minutes of searching and panic, he grabbed his phone to call nine one one. A note on the table stopped him from entering the last one. He picked it up reading the note once, twice, and a third time

“I am really sorry Dad. I am going to New York to talk to my birth mother. I love you so much but I want to know where I came from. I want to be able to understand who I am from the beginning to now. Please don’t hate me.  
-Emily”

Richie ran to the office and opened the door. He rummaged through his desk until he found the contact book kept in the locked drawer. He dropped the book on the desk and began to rapidly move the pages until he landed on the page he needed. He dialed the number and waited for the phone to ring. It felt like hours before the person on the line finally picked up.

“Bill it’s me, I need your help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes another chapter! Please let me know what you thought and if you are enjoying it so far.


	3. Unsettling Answers

“Any beverages Miss?” 

“Water would be great, thank you.” The flight attendant quietly poured Emily a cup of water before moving on to the next guest. The whole flight consisted of Emily over thinking her actions and how she failed to plan if things went wrong. She had never been to New York before. Emily didn’t know how she would get around the city in one piece. She would also have to find a motel to stay at before meeting Myra. Even with these challenges ahead, Emily was worried she would not overcome the obstacle that was her father. She didn’t know how he was going to react. Emily knew she would have a bunch of messages once she turned on her phone. Thirty minutes passed with no change of thought until a ding echoed throughout the plane.

“Ladies and Gentleman we are now approaching John F. Kennedy International Airport. Please keep your seat belts fastened and we will arrive momentarily. Thank you.” Emily let out a deep breath. She felt for her inhaler in her duffel bag to make sure it was there. Her asthma was never an issue that needed intense care. However, when she was born she had a hole in her lung. Her father told her that she was in the hospital for at least two weeks before she was discharged. Ever since, she had trouble running and whenever she panicked she would need her inhaler. Richie always kept a spare when they went out incase her main inhaler was not working. He had always cared for her as if she was glass. One trip or asthma attack and she would shatter.   
The plane landed with no issues and Emily was grateful. After grabbing her stuff and successfully getting off the plane she made her way to baggage claim. In front of the exist were a handful of drivers. Some wore suits others wore casual clothing. One guy had a welcome home poster with flowers, she assumed a girlfriend would be happily surprised. Emily looked at them all out of curiosity but one teen caught her eye. He was extremely tall compared to Emily who was considered below average. He looked up from his watch and looked around the room, waiting for his girlfriend maybe? Emily couldn’t help but notice he was undeniably handsome. Guys as good looking as that knew they were good looking. She lived in Los Angeles, it was a common thing. However, what she didn’t expect was that he was holding a name card that said Emily Tozier. Emily stopped walking in disbelief. What is going on? Was she being watched? Did her father do this? People began moving around her, giving her dirty looks but she didn’t acknowledge them. Her eyes stayed on the teenage boy that might be a stalker she never knew existed. She decided to pretend she never noticed him and began to walk in the opposite direction. That was the plan until he made eye contact.

“Oh shit.” She looked down before trying to walk away as he began approaching Emily “Wow, this is how I die.” Emily continued to mutter to herself until the teen stood in front of her.

“Are you Emily Tozier?” She could tell by the look in his eye that he knew it was her. She had no idea why, considering she has never seen this guy in her life.

“Um, yes but I don’t know you.”

“I’m Ethan Denbrough. Nice to finally meet you.” He extended his hand and Emily took it. He looked as if she should know who he was.

“I’m sorry, why do you have my name on a sign?” He looked at her as if she was talking gibberish. 

“You don’t know who I am? Your Dad called my Dad to come pick you up.” So Richie didn’t hate her? She dropped her bag and began to rummage through it till she found her   
phone. She pressed the power button and began to play the deadly waiting game for all the messages to come in. Before she could finish, Ethan grabbed her bag from the ground. 

“Come on little lady we got to get going if we’re goanna make it on time for dinner.” Emily stopped walking.

“What did you just call me?” Ethan laughed before messing up Emily’s hair.

“Little lady, you know because you’re so tiny.” Emily felt insulted, no, that was a lie. She was blushing profusely and needed to walk in front of him to not be seen.

“He is lucky that he is cute.” Emily muttered under breath in hopes the tree man behind her wouldn’t hear. However, a laugh was heard which made her think she really didn’t know how to be quiet.  
He walked her to the parking lot of the Airport where a blue Subaru waited for them. He opened the passenger door for Emily before walking over to open his own.

“Is this too poor for your taste Miss Hollywood?” Emily could tell that he was kidding but she didn’t appreciate it. Many people stereotyped her because of her father’s success. Many failed relationships were revolved around that reason. She could still remember that last thing her ex sent her before blocking his number. “Can your Dad still get me an internship?”

“Actually, this is refreshing. It reminds me of the car we took on a road trip to Yosemite.” She smiled up at Ethan from her car seat before closing the car door.

“Good enough for me.” Ethan pulled out of the parking structure heading for the freeway. The car seemed to be his own. He had a collection of old cds and some graded essays in the back seat. The car smelled like old French fries and cheap body spray. Emily began looking through the cds, feeling his eyes on her. “You like Hozier?”

“Oh yeah, Vance Joy is a good one as well.” 

“I don’t have his cd yet, I usually use them when I’m out of data for the month. My mom gets mad when I do.” Emily cracked the window open and felt the crisp New York air tickle her fingers. She loved California but New York was a nice change. 

“So, do you know my Dad too?”

“I do but, not really. I watch him in movies from time to time and the morning radio. I didn’t know my Dad knew him.”

“Really? I thought that was the reason you knew who I was.”

“No. I woke up this morning and my Dad told me to pick you up and bring you back home. He showed me a picture of you.” Emily wondered if Bill was a nice man. She had never heard of him before. She only knew Richie’s Los Angeles friends. Maybe he was one the losers.

“That’s strange I’ve never heard of your Dad before.”

“Yeah well, my Dad is not so great about talking about his past.” Emily watched as Ethan’s eyes shifted. He seemed to be as confused about everything as she was. 

“Mine isn’t either. It is why I’m here in the first place.”

“I thought you were here to see colleges?” Emily prepared to explain the situation to Ethan but their destination was closer than she anticipated. Ethan pulled into the driveway. The house looked as if it was an optical illusion. The front seemed small and cozy like the rest of the neighborhood. However, as they began to exit the car the house seemed to extend far beyond the front door. They seemed to be a very fortunate family which made Ethan’s comments almost hypocritical.

“I see I’m not the only one with stereotypical standards.” Emily nudged Ethan’s shoulder which earned her another laugh from him. She seemed to be quite good at it. 

“Okay, okay just come on Little Lady.” Well, she couldn’t get rid of all the nicknames. Not yet at least. Ethan rummaged through his jean pocket before finding the house key. He opened the door to reveal a long hallway with photos in every nook and cranny. Emily began searching the photos for anything that would seem familiar to her. Unfortunately, all the photos seemed to be of their immediate family. The sound of joyful screaming halted her train of thought. A young boy began running down the hall. His speed quickened as Ethan opened his arms. The boy jumped, putting full trust in Ethan to catch him. The boy clung to Ethan’s arms as Ethan began twirling him around. The boy began to laugh before asking to be put down.

“Don’t miss me too much George. How are you going to be when I go off to college?” George pouted in response before running back down the hallway. “He’s mad at me but he will get over it quick. Come on, I’ll show you to the kitchen, my parents should be there.” Emily smiled awkwardly before following Ethan further inside the house. It was odd that these people would welcome a stranger so easily. Yet, she might not be a total stranger thanks to her father. They rounded the corner and were welcomed into the brightly lit kitchen. A woman was cutting vegetables at the counter while a man was reading at the table. 

“Mom, Dad, this is Emily Tozier.” Both looked towards Emily with smiles on their faces. The woman had short brown hair that landed below her shoulders. She looked as if a gust of wind could blow her away. 

“I’m Audra. It is great to meet you. I would shake your hand if mine wasn’t occupied at the moment.” An awkward laugh was shared by the group before Bill stood up.

“I’m Bill Denbrough.” Emily shook the man’s hand noticing he was tall like Ethan. He was skinny like his wife but not as noticeable. His hands were rough which was due to using them as often as he did.

“Nice to meet you both, I appreciate you welcoming me into your home. I didn’t realize my Dad had friends in New York.” She hoped that Bill did not know about her dramatic departure just nine hours ago. Bill smiled before grabbing the book he was reading.

“Oh, we go way back. We grew up together. The memories tend to be fuzzy but they’re still there.” It seemed that Bill had the same issue as Richie when it came to their pasts. It all seemed very odd. Audra looked as if she was uncomfortable with the conversation, as if it brought her back to a time she never wanted to return to.

“Dinner's almost ready. Ethan, how about you show Emily to her room?”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I can get a hotel.”

“Oh no, please stay it would make me feel better knowing you are here.” Emily thanked them once again. The rest of the night consisted of dinner where the Denbrough family asked Emily many questions about her life in Los Angeles, her goals for the future, and her father. She had many stories to tell about Richie, like the time she walked right into a pool at two and a half and he jumped in fully clothed to get her. Every story about Richie seemed to make Bill light up, as if a flip switched in his brain. He even threw in his own stories which looked to surprise everyone at the table. The conversations died down when George asked if Emily was Ethan’s girlfriend. She only laughed and shook her head.

“Good then could you be mine?” After dinner was done Emily helped with the dishes before going up to the guest room. She hoped to talk to Ethan about why she had come to New York in the first place. It seemed he has the same idea for he was waiting in the room for her.

“I’m sorry but you never told me why you came to New York in the first place?” Emily closed the door behind her, hoping no one would hear. She sat down on the bed next to Ethan, trying to keep a polite distance between them. 

“I’m adopted. My father has been keeping secrets from me about my birth parents for years... I have been trying to get him to talk about it but he just can’t. Anytime I bring up something or it could be at random times, he will fall into grief and run to his office. I finally had a breakthrough when I went through his phone and found this woman who has my birth certificate. Her name is Myra Kaspbrak.”  
Emily began rummaging through her bag until she found the information she printed out. “Here is her address I plan to see her tomorrow to see if she is my mother.” Emily let out a breath and waited for Ethan’s response. It took a while for him to register everything that he was just told.

“Well shit. Guess we have a big day tomorrow.”

“We?” Ethan moved so he could face Emily on the bed. The idea of personal space seemed out the window now that their knees were touching. Emily tried to focus on his words rather than the feeling of his skin on hers.

“Listen, I have been going through the same stuff with my parents. It’s like they have this big secret about my father’s past, like he is a murderer or something. Well he does write horror books, but still.”   
Emily couldn’t help but laugh. She never thought Richie to be a serial killer but she could understand what Ethan was going through. 

“I’m sure it’s not that. My Dad mentioned how where he grew up he had a group of friends. They called themselves “The Losers Club”. Our Dads were probably in it together.” Emily felt his leg move which cause her breath to get caught in her throat. What was wrong with her? It was just a boy. 

“Wow, the losers club huh? Very hip. My father has only mentioned that he struggled with stuttering for a long time but he grew out of it. He also lost his youngest brother at a young age. I think George reminds him of his brother.” It seemed that their fathers had lived tough lives where they grew up. Emily worried about her real father and how her mother would be.

“I don’t know, I am kind of nervous about tomorrow. I have no idea if she remembers me or is even a decent person.” Ethan grabbed Emily’s hand and held it in his own. She tried to look in him in the eye and contain the blush she felt creeping up her neck.

“Hey, I’ll be there. I know you don’t know me too well but I feel like for the first time, I found someone who can relate to me. Regarding my family of course. There has to be a reason to all of this and I want to find out.” Emily smiled, feeling safe in his presence. With Ethan being there she felt like it would be a lot easier to handle. He continued to hold her hand and brush his thumb lightly in circles. 

“Uh, well we should probably sleep then.” Ethan pulled back quickly. He made his way to the door saying goodnight before leaving. His face looked sunburned and Emily bet hers did too. What a dork. For the first time that night Emily directed her attention to the phone she had been ignoring. She tapped the screen to see message after message from Richie. They started out worried then grew to panic and results into understanding. He never got mad once. He just wished her a safe flight and to call him when she could. She looked to the alarm clock by the bed and could see it was too late to call. She called anyways. The phone began to ring and a part of her wanted him to pick up the phone but another part of her didn’t. She let out a sigh of relief when it went to voicemail.

“Hey Dad, it’s me.” She paused before continuing. “I’m really sorry I made you worried. I am also sorry for hurting you. I just need to do this for me and I hope you won’t be too mad when I come home. I love you so much, bye.” Emily held back tears as she hung up the phone. She knew she would have to talk to him eventually but she needed more time.   
Emily Tozier stood outside of Myra Kaspbrak’s house unable to move. The cold morning air is not what froze her, it was the fear that consumed her. She worried how the woman would react. Would she want Emily to become part of her family? Could Emily really do that? What if this created a custody battle that Richie couldn’t win. All these thoughts repeated in her head until she felt a warm hand touch her shoulder.

“You okay?” Ethan stood beside her, looking worried. She was glad to have him with her, especially because he drove. Emily let out a deep breath. She traced the outline of her inhaler in her jacket pocket. It was now or never. Emily walked up the few steps leading to the front door. Her stomach dropped, each step making it harder to take another. She finally reached the front door. She placed her fist against it and made two firm knocks. There was no sound at first, it wasn’t until Emily was prepared to knock a second time that the door opened. The door swung fast and Emily felt herself jump at the quickness. An older woman, very large in size stood before her. She had curling rolls in her hair and a mean look to match. Emily almost turned around and ran but the woman beat her to it.

“Can I help you?” Her accent was thick which made her even more intimidating.

“Does Myra Kaspbrak live here?” Emily did her best to sound confident even though she could feel herself shaking.

“Who wants to know?” 

“My name is Emily Tozier. I-.”

“Get in. Come on now hurry up.” Emily did not hesitate, she turned and waved Ethan in with her. The house was filled with clutter. Nick knacks of all sorts were displayed on every wall and table. The house transported them back twenty years. “Sit in the living room I’ll be right there.” Emily looked at Ethan who just shrugged before taking a seat on the floral couch. Emily couldn’t imagine ever living here. It reeked of old furniture and cat litter. Emily looked to see Myra making some tea for herself before taking a seat across from the teens. She did not offer them anything.

“I assumed that fag would get caught in his lies someday.” Emily did her best to not show the shock that took over her body.

“Excuse me?”

“Richie. He didn’t tell you about me right?” Emily shook her head.

“Figures, I should have asked for more money.” Money? Now Emily was even more confused.

“Am I right to assume that you are-“ 

“Yeah, I’m your mother.” Emily did not feel as relieved as she thought she would be. “However, I would not use that word if I were you. I didn’t have you the normal way.”

“What do you mean?”

"Your Father was a fag too. He wouldn’t have sex with me. Heck, I don’t think he loved me either but who knows at this point. So I got him to give me a sample of his stuff so I could at least have a baby the new scientific way.” There was that word again, fag. The woman used it so negatively as if she was spitting on the ground that her two fathers walked on. She hated this woman already. 

“Where is he?”

“Hell If I know. He went to Derry and never came back. Tozier wouldn’t tell me either he just had to adopt you. He said any price. I wanted a healthy baby but with your lungs and all, It was a waste of my time.” A waste of her time? Emily squeezed her hands together so that she wouldn’t break in front of this woman. Emily could feel a panic attack beginning to rise in her. She had to leave before she exploded. 

“How can you say that?” Ethan looked at the woman with disgust. Myra ignored him and took a sip of her tea. 

“Is this guy your boy toy or something? I’m surprised you didn’t turn out like your father. That gay sure spreads.” Emily stood up, holding in her anger. She wanted to yell at this woman. She wanted to swear and scream and tell her how she missed out. Emily loved her life with her father she couldn’t believe she wanted to find out who these people were. 

“Thank you for your time. We should get going.” Emily wasted no time in showing herself out. She felt her lungs begin to tighten and her vision began to blur from the tears. The cold air felt like it was evaporating on her skin. She rushed down the steps and ran halfway down the block before collapsing on the concrete. She couldn’t breathe. Deep breaths became short gasps as she reached for her inhaler.

“Emily! Emily are you okay?” Ethan was by her side in seconds. He watched as she placed the inhaler to her mouth and took a puff. She took a small breath before taking another hit. Ethan reached for her and brought her back against the hard wood of the fence behind them. He held her as she slowly began to gain her breathing back. She couldn’t help but cry hard into his chest as reality sunk in. Her mother was a terrible human being. Richie lied to her, she was not wanted, not loved. 

“She threw me away Ethan.” Emily felt the tears begin to stream down her face once she said the words out loud. Hiding thoughts in your head is much easier than accepting them out in the open.

“That bitch is not your mother okay. Hey, look at me.” Ethan moved Emily’s face up to meet his gaze. His hand held her face lightly as if he held on any harder she would break.   
“She may have brought you into the world but she did it for selfish reasons. Richie loves you and cares for you. Shit, I care for you even though I met you less than twenty-four hours ago. Don’t let this woman who has not been in your life make you feel like you are not important.”   
Emily felt her tears begin to cease as she looked into Ethan’s eyes. She looked down at his lips before focusing back on his gaze. He looked confused now, as if he was debating something. Emily decided to move her head back down to his chest and sit there for a while. He didn’t protest and began weaving his fingers through her hair. They sat together for another ten minutes until Emily felt ready to leave. Ethan suggested a diner near his place and offered her his jacket. She took it and for the rest of the car ride she relaxed in his scent. It smelled distinctly of firewood, something she had rarely smelt but enjoyed.  
Once in the diner they took their seats and put in their orders. It was close to empty, leaving the room almost bare of sound other than the old jukebox.

“So what are you going to do now?” Emily had an idea but it was a crazy one. She wasn’t sure if she should go through with it and she wasn’t sure if Ethan would too.

“I think I should go to Derry.” 

“You think he is alive?” Emily wasn’t sure how to answer that question. While Myra never said he was dead, she did mention how he was gay as well as Richie. 

“I honestly don’t know but I do know that there was something between him and Richie. I want to learn more about it. If he is in Derry he would be the one person who could tell us and if not maybe some of the losers club still live there.” Ethan went quiet which worried Emily. Maybe this idea was too stupid or too rash. 

“Listen, I want to tell you something. My parents also get nightmares. These kinds of nightmares that wake my brother and I up. They scream until their throats go dry. They talk about something coming after them. I don’t know what happened to my parents but there is something not right about that town. Supposedly they went back a year before they had me. My mom had serious medical issues while having my brother and I do to how frail she was. My grandmother told me she use to be thicker and healthier.”  
Ethan paused to take a sip of his drink. Emily could tell it was hard for him to remember back to those nights of screaming and fear. “I have no idea what happened to them. Only they know but they won’t tell me. So I want to go with you and see what that town did to them. If you will have me?” Emily reached for Ethan’s hand and squeezed it. 

“Of course, I wouldn’t want any other person to come with me. Let’s figure this out together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a bit harder to write but please let me know what you think!


	4. Questions Answered?

Like Emily, Ethan was not honest with his parents. They drove back to the house and explained how Ethan wanted to travel north to look at schools with Emily. They were hesitant at first before agreeing as long as Ethan would call frequently. They gathered Ethan’s things and headed on the road. It was an eight-hour drive and they agreed to split the driving time. Well, Emily insisted and Ethan made driving jokes until she got him to agree.

“Before we go I want to pick up a friend.”

“A friend?” Emily was curious on who else would want to be stuck in a long drive with the two of them. 

“Yeah, her father use to be close with mine. I texted her about you and she wants to come.” Emily wondered how her presence could make someone be willing to travel to Derry. She felt like she found someone who understood her through this experience and she would love to meet others she could relate to. Her friends at home could understand her to a certain degree. After the normal conversations got old and the deep conversations begun, she felt disconnected. How can you relate to someone who never worried about who they were? 

They drove for another thirty-five minutes before stopping at a luxury apartment. A man dressed in a red coat stood at the door, welcoming residents as they walked in and out. Ethan put the car in park before bringing his phone up to his ear. Emily looked up at the towering apartment building. It was vastly different than her own. The old brick looked charming unlike her’s which was made of glass. The man began to reach for the door and a young teen stepped out. Her first step was graceful and Emily felt entranced by her presence. The teen girl smiled and nodded to the doorman. She carried her bags with ease, her straight brown hair laid lightly on her shoulders. Ethan waved to the girl and she waved back. Emily felt a surge of uneasiness as she opened the back door. Emily felt like she should have been in the back with how they looked at each other. 

“Hi, Ethan!” She placed her bags beside her before closing the door. Emily wondered how long they knew each other and how close they were. She had no reason to be jealous. Yet, Emily now regretted sitting in the front seat for the next eight hours. “I’m Stacey, it’s nice to finally meet you.” Stacey extended her hand and Emily shook it. 

“Emily, great to meet you too.” They settled into their seats and began the long journey to Derry. Emily listened to Ethan and Stacey catch up. They talked about school and the last time they saw each other. Emily never felt like the saying three is a crowd applied to her until now. 

“So Emily, you are on the search for your real father?” Emily looked at Ethan who shrugged in response. Did he tell this girl Emily’s life story?

“Yeah, I am not sure if he even is in Derry but I have to try. What brings you to Derry with us?” For the first time since Stacey had got in the car, she looked upset. Emily worried that she said something wrong but Stacey began to smile once more.

“One day I brought home a book written by Bill Denbrough and my mother flipped. It was as if I brought home a Satanist Bible. She told me to never bring his books into this house again and threw it in the fire. It was overly dramatic really.” Emily could tell by the change in Stacey’s voice that it wasn’t anything to joke about. “After that, I noticed how she would never talk about him. No one in my family would. So when I heard you guys were going to Derry I wanted to get some answers too.” After that, the discomfort disappeared and Emily felt like she was involved in their conversations. Emily learned that Stacey moved to New York before she was born and always felt like she was missing something. Stacy was a lot more like Emily than she expected. They had common interests and as the drive continued, Emily could see that Ethan and Stacey were not interested in each other in that way. He didn’t tease her like he teased Emily and his hands never gravitated towards Stacey. Stacey pretended to focus on her phone but watched the two teens in front of her with an amusing smirk on her face. Once they switched drivers, Ethan passed out instantly. The drive was quiet other than Ethan’s light snores.

“So you and Ethan huh?” Stacey’s voice sounded almost like a song, taunting Emily.

“What do you mean?” Emily looked back at Stacey through the rear-view mirror. 

“He is into you, you know.” Stacey wiggled her eyebrows and motioned towards the sleeping teen. Emily looked at him as he rested his head against the car door. His face looked the most peaceful it has since she met him. It was cute.

“I don’t know about that. I just met the guy a day ago. There is no way we could make a connection in that short of time. Also, we live in different states so it wouldn’t make sense.” Emily realized she was rambling like she always did when she was nervous. She shut up immediately. Stacey did not look convinced. 

“Well, he is a great guy. His parents raised him well. I just want the best for him and you.” Emily smiled at Stacey before looking back at the road. Ethan slowly opened his eyes before stretching.

“What are you girls talking about?” Emily looked at Stacey who just shook her head before answering.

“We were talking about my bird watching log.” Stacey held a finger up to her lips causing Emily to laugh. Ethan narrowed his eyes at the two girls before relaxing into his seat. The rest of the drive went by fast as the three teens got to know each other better. They sang songs and played silly road games.  
As they rode into Derry, a mist surrounded the town as if it was being strangled by it. Ethan turned on his high beams and drove cautiously. The temperature got colder and the atmosphere shifted. Anyone who drove through the city lines could feel it. Emily looked out the window and saw nothing but fog. Stacey was sleeping in the back making the front of the car feel very intimate. Emily looked at Ethan who looked back. They knew something was up. The town sign appeared on her right, it looked old and cracked. Unlike the towns they drove through, this sign was made of wood and looked as if it never was refurbished. Emily felt a chill creep down her sign as they passed.

“You cold?” Ethan reached for his sweatshirt and threw it to Emily. She thanked him but knew it was not the air that gave her a chill.

“This town, it’s…”

“Creepy.”

“Maybe, but that’s not the word for it.” Emily didn’t know to describe the feeling this town gave her. Maybe it was the nerves of possibly meeting her father. Yet, she knew it wasn’t that simple. Thirty minutes passed and the sky began to clear. They saw street lights from the distance. The town looked as if they had gone back in time. There were no restaurants that were familiar of or stores for that matter. The only resemblance to their own cities was the Starbucks at the end of the street. Emily helped direct Ethan with her GPS before finally parking in front of the old Denbrough home. The lights in the living room were on and Emily watched as two shadows began to move towards the front door. The town was awfully quiet like silence at a funeral. The front door opened slowly, an elderly couple stood there with smiles on their faces. 

“Ethan, you have grown so much! You’re so handsome.” Ethan walked up the few steps before giving his grandparents a hug. His grandmother kissed his cheek, before holding his face in her frail hands.

“These are my friends Emily and Stacey.” Both girls smiled and waved, trying to be polite even from a distance.

“Oh, please come in you all must be so tired.” Once they gathered their things they went straight to bed not bothering to brush their teeth. Emily slept for a good two hours before her mind began to wander into dreams she had never seen. 

“Richie, I swear to God if you don’t fucking shut up.” 

“What you going to do Eds?” A young boy not much older than thirteen was glaring at a younger Richie Tozier. The younger teen was short and tiny. He looked as if he weighed less than a hundred pounds. His short brown hair was combed neatly, almost perfect. He had a cast with the word loser written in black marker. He did not look very happy about it.

“Don’t call me that. I am going to have loser written on my cast till I get it off. This sucks.” Eddie looked down at his cast in disappointment. When Greta Bowie offered to sign Eddie’s cast he felt excited. While it wasn’t the kind of excitement that made his cheeks flush, it was still something that made him feel important. However, once the pen left the cast and his eyes landed on the word all he felt was embarrassment.

“Hey, chill out Eddie. It isn’t that big of a deal.” Richie reached in his pocket and brought out a red sharpie. He grabbed Eddie’s arm to hold him still. Eddie protested at first, fearing Richie was drawing a dick over the word. “Jeeze stay still Eddie I know how excited you get when I touch you but relax.”

“Oh, fuck off Tozier.” Eddie was afraid and closed his eyes. Once he felt the pressure from Richie’s weight stop, he opened one eye. What he found made his face turn red.  
Richie drew a v over the s making the world change from loser to lover. Richie was blushing as well but hid it by focusing his attention on his untied shoelace. 

“Why did you do that?” Eddie could barely get the words out.

“Cause you're more of a lover than a loser. Do you like it?” Eddie only nodded in response. He looked at Richie as if he was meeting Richie for the first time. “You know who also is a great lover?”

“Don’t.”

“Your Mom.” Eddie smacked Richie hard enough to leave a hand mark on his arm. Richie yelped before tackling Eddie to the ground. Both boys rolled around the grass laughing at each other. They were glad to have a good memory in one of the scariest times of their lives.  
Emily woke up with a warm feeling in her chest. She had seen a moment between Richie and her actual father. Richie gave Eddie the nickname Eds just like Emily. She could understand why that nickname could bring back memories for Richie. However, where did that dream come from? How did she picture both kids so clearly? It was as if she was watching a film. She couldn’t do anything in the dream all she could do was watch. A knock on her door woke Emily from her thoughts.

“Can I come in?” It was Stacey’s voice on the other side of the door.

“Yeah, come in.” Stacy was still in her pajamas. Emily looked to see that it was barely seven in the morning. Stacey made her way over to Emily and sat beside her in bed. 

“Did you have any weird dreams?”

“How did you know?”

“I didn’t, I just hoped you would too.” Stacey had witnessed a dream of a young boy bird watching. He took notes and attempted to draw the blue jay in front of him. It reminded her of when she was young. “I think it was my father. Why would I dream of a kid that looks just like me?” 

“I saw Richie and this kid. His name was Eddie and Richie called him by the nickname he uses for me. It can’t be random.” 

“My mother always hated Derry, she blamed it for my father’s..” Stacey couldn’t finish her sentence. Emily grabbed Stacey’s hand giving it a comforting squeeze.

“We are going to figure this out together.” Both girls shared a hug before Stacey went back to her room. An hour later Emily walked down the stairs to the living room. Ethan was waiting with Stacey. He stood up before announcing his plan.

“So, I talked to my grandparents and they told me about Mike who was a part of the losers club. He also works for the Derry Library, if anyone knows about our parents it’s him. They also..” Ethan walked over to the bookshelf and grabbed a photo book. He walked back over to Emily and opened the third page. “This is the losers club.”  
Emily looked down at the faded photo. It was a picture of seven kids, they looked to be fourteen or fifteen in the photo. They all stood in a line with their arms around each other. Emily immediately noticed Richie. His hair was sticking out from every side. His glasses were huge compared to the size of his face. His cheekbones were more defined since he was starting puberty at that time. Richie also wore a Hawaiian shirt. He never grew out of that style much to Emily’s dismay. He looked happy, happier than she had ever seen him. Next to him was the smaller boy from her dream. He did not have a cast on his arm but he wore a fanny pack on his hip. Eddie. Eddie is his name. Emily pointed to the photo before tracing the two boys.

“That’s Richie and I think that’s Eddie.”

“Eddie?”

“Yeah, he was in my dream last night.” Emily wondered if Ethan had a dream as well. However, he did not seem to have anything to say and put the photo book back on the shelf. 

“Shall we go?” Emily looked at Stacey who looked just as confused about his reaction. What was going on with Ethan? They did not protest and followed Ethan out to the car. The town seemed much more alive during the day. People were walking and riding their bikes around town. The drive was short and they learned that walking around town was more common than driving. They got out of the car and looked around the parking lot. It seemed that not many people went to the library anymore for the parking lot was empty. They walked inside. The smell of old books filled their noses as they looked around the room. There were a few people reading in different corners. It seemed that the library was last in line for improvements. The shelves looked old and worn and the rug was torn in some places. It may not be the most updated library but it was cozy.

“Hi, can I help you find anything?” A young man not much older than them walked over to the door. He had a charming smile and a relaxed demeanor that made anyone feel at ease. 

“Yes, we are looking for Mike Hanlon.” 

“My Pops? Yeah, he is in his office, second door on the right.” They thanked the teen before heading to Mike’s office. Emily took the initiative of being the one who knocks. 

“Please come in.” Ethan grabbed the door handle and slowly opened the door. There sat Mike Hanlon. His hairline receding and his nose in a book. His face was not as wrinkled compared to Ben and Richie. However, his age showed in his eyes. Mike has the eyes of a man who has seen many things in his lifetime.

“Hello, my name is Ethan and this is…”

“Stacey and Emily correct?” The three teens felt stunned as Mike said their names. How would he have known who they were? “You look like them, my friends.” 

“We came to talk to you. I wanted to learn more about my birth father.” Emily felt anxious as she waited for Mike’s reply. He closed his book before placing it in the drawer of his desk. 

“Lucas!” He yelled for the teen in the hallway. For a Liberian, he wasn’t very quiet.

“Yeah, Dad?” Lucas came into the room ready for any errands he may be given.

“These are the kids I wanted you to meet. They are Bill, Stan, and Eddie’s children.” Emily was shocked how much this man knew. Warmth filled her stomach at knowing she was correct about who her real father is but she wanted to know more about his relationship with Richie. 

“Oh, nice to meet you all I’m Lucas.” He shook everyone’s hand before grabbing chairs for everyone to sit. Once they got settled they got ready to ask Mike some questions however, he beat them to it. 

“So you guys came to Derry to learn about your parents?” 

“Yes, I want to understand why my parents have nightmares.” Ethan moved his chair closer to make sure he could hear.

“I want to know why my mother hid my father’s past.” 

“And I want to know what my father is like.” Emily felt nervous now that she was finally getting the answers she wanted. Mike sighed before letting out a laugh.

“Where should I start first? Two out of the three questions are pretty complicated but I can answer yours easily Emily.” Emily held her hands together on her lap trying not to seem too eager. “Eddie Kaspbrak was something else. His mother was overprotective but he was one of the bravest men I knew. He was tiny like you but he was quick with his tongue. Him and I were not the closest but he was a great friend to me.” As much as Emily loved hearing about her father she couldn’t help but notice how he used past tense. He was. He had been. Emily tried to keep her composure even though a million questions were running through her mind. 

“What about his relationship with Richie?”

“Richie, oh my lord those two boys were trouble. All they would do is bicker and fight. There was never one day where Richie wasn’t flirting with Eddie. We all were just waiting for them to get together.” Emily had always known Richie is bisexual. Yet, Richie had never been with a man from what Emily could remember. 

“What do you mean by was? When you talk about Eddie.” Emily was afraid of the answer and she could tell by his expression he didn’t seem to want to say it. The tension in the room began to grow as everyone waited for Mike’s answer. The phone on his desk began to ring signaling the end of the conversation

“I will explain in detail another time. I apologize but I must take this call. Lucas, please show them out.”  
Lucas waved everyone out of the room. Emily looked at Mike one last time before leaving the room. Mike picked up the phone and waited for the person on the other line.

“Yes, she is safe. Yes, I know. She is asking about him…. I haven’t told them yet. I’ll keep her safe Richie.”  
The teens all exited the library feeling not very happy with how the conversation turned out. 

“I’m sorry about my Pops. He has been through a lot but he will explain it all in due time. If you guys want I can show you around Derry tomorrow.” Lucas seemed like a nice guy and he could have some answers since he had lived in Derry his whole life. Before Emily and Ethan got to answer Stacey jumped at the chance.

“I’d love that! Wouldn’t you guys?” Both teens nodded not really understanding why Stacey became so happy suddenly. They began to get in the car but a flash of light caught Emily’s eye. She squinted her eyes as she looked far down the street of Derry. It was too far to see anything but figures. Yet, she could distinctly see seven figures riding their bikes down the street. Emily wanted to get a closer look but Ethan’s car horn made her jump. 

“You coming Miss Hollywood?” Emily threw up her middle finger which only earned her a laugh from Ethan. She turned around to see the biking crew once more but just as fast as they came they were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading let me know what you think!


	5. Something Hidden Beneath The Streets

“You think he is mad at me?” Smoke circles danced in the cool winter air. A cigarette was caught in between the lips of Richie Tozier. He sat on the cliff of the Barrens next to Beverly Marsh. A vibrant redhead who shared the same life-killing habit as Richie. She inhaled a puff of her own cigarette before looking at Richie. “I think he is not fond of your flirting with Claire Adams.” The redhead smiled before flicking her cigarette into the Barrens. It fell into the water where it slowly died from the ice-cold steam rushing through Derry. 

“It’s not serious or anything. I just like to talk to people. Eds always gets mad when I flirt with him anyway.” Richie was struggling with his feelings for Eddie. They were sixteen now and Richie began to see the possibility of being with Eddie. Eddie would always hate the nicknames and teasing Richie inflicted upon him. However, Richie noticed that Eddie was blushing more often and looking at Richie more than he would admit. 

“It’s because he likes you and he doesn’t know what to do about it.”

“Well shit, Molly Ringwald. You got all the answers.” Beverly flipped him off making Richie laugh in the process. He liked to hide his nerves behind jokes but he knew he would have to face this one day. 

“I’m just saying you should talk to him. See how he is feeling. Eddie struggles with his sexuality even more than you.” Richie nodded before tossing his cigarette down the cliff. He watched it fall and hit the ground. It broke in many pieces, flying in every direction. He was taking a chance with Eddie and the results could lead him to feel like the cigarette at the bottom of the Barrens.  
The sun was shining in Derry the morning after they arrived. Emily had another dream but not with Richie and Eddie. It was with Richie and a mysterious redhead she had never seen before. She was the only girl in the losers club and seemed to be very close with Richie. Emily began to get dressed, thinking about yesterday and how no answers were really given. Once she was dressed she headed over to Stacey’s room and knocked on the door. Before she could knock twice the door swung open. Stacey smelled like rich perfume and looked as if she was going on a date.

“You know we will be walking a lot right?” Emily tried not to compare her jeans and sweater to Stacey’s flattering dress and heels.

“Oh I know, that’s why I have my walking heels on.” Stacey smiled at Emily before walking past her down the hallway. Emily laughed to herself before following Stacey. She sure was something. Ethan greeted them half-heartedly when they came down the stairs. He looked as if he did not get very much sleep the night before. Emily approached Ethan and softly laid her hand on his arm. He almost pulled away which made Emily frown.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just couldn’t sleep much last night.” Ethan politely smiled at her before going into the kitchen. Emily felt his body brush against her which only made her feel cold and confused. Why was he acting like this? They were getting along great. Did something change? A knock on the front door made everyone look. Stacey made her way over and opened the door smiling at the young teen behind it. Lucas thanked her before walking inside.

“You guys ready?” Stacey smiled and looped her arm around Lucas’s. 

“Let’s go guys.” Emily and Ethan followed behind them. As they walked down the streets of Derry, Lucas talked about the history and where he liked to hang out. Emily expected Ethan to be making jokes and teasing Emily. Instead, he was staring at the buildings with a knowing look. He seemed to have a recognition of the streets around him. Maybe he was having dreams like Emily and Stacey.

“Do you guys see that water tower over there?” Lucas pointed to the other side of town. There stood a water tower that loomed over Derry. It looked newer compared to some of the buildings in town. “We call it the standpipe 2.0. It fell apart during a storm a little less than twenty years ago.” Stacey looked uncomfortable by it. Emily thought she may have a fear of heights but it seemed like Stacey couldn’t stand to look at it. Stacey looked away pretending that the presence of the water tower didn’t give her a rising feeling of anxiety. Lucas moved on after that, catching the drift the Stacey didn’t want to be there anymore. They continued walking until Emily brought up a question.

“Have you lived in Derry your whole life Lucas?”

“Yeah, I have. My Pops isn’t much of a traveler and neither is my Mother. So I haven’t really left Derry other than going to the next town.” Emily could tell Lucas was not happy with the result of his childhood. Emily was lucky enough to travel with her father and would be going to Europe with him once she graduates high school.

“Do you want to travel?”

“Oh yeah. I have always wanted to see the rest of the country and maybe see another.” Even though he seemed excited by the idea, the teens could tell by his voice he didn’t seem to think it would happen. Stacey smiled and patted him on the shoulder in comfort. 

“I’ll take you somewhere. You need to see the world.” Lucas smiled at Stacey before stopping in front of Derry High School. 

“This is my school. It’s pretty small but we got what most schools have. Come on I’ll show you.” The teens followed Lucas around as he showed them the hallways and the field. Emily felt at home as she walked through the hallways. It was a lot different than her high school yet, it had a charm that Los Angeles could never have. Lucas talked about how football was a big thing in Derry since they didn’t have any sports teams or colleges nearby. They arrived at the field last. There was nothing except some paint lines on the grass. Emily looked at the vast green field around them. Two sets of bleachers were on both sides of the field. Since school was out, the field and bleachers were empty. However, Emily could see two people under the far bleachers. Before she could say anything, she moved towards them. If anyone asked she would say it was curiosity but in reality, she felt pulled towards them. It was as if an unknown force needed her to get a closer look at the people behind the bleachers. As she walked closer she could hear two people arguing. Emily wondered if she should turn back. She was ready to turn around until she saw a familiar head of curls. 

“Richie, we need to go somebody is going to find us?” 

“Oh come on Eds, live a little. You are too cute to ignore.” A sixteen-year-old Richie was kissing the neck of Eddie Kaspbrak. Emily knew she wasn’t in a dream. She even pinched herself to make sure of it. 

“Stop calling me that. I swear I will walk away right now if you don’t…” Richie stopped him with his lips. Emily had never seen Richie kiss a man before but it looked to be more caring and passionate than with any woman Richie had kissed at home. Richie held Eddie’s face in his hand and smiled. His eyes were soft and filled with love. The same loving look he gave Emily when she came back with honors at the end of the semester.

“You are just the cutest Eddie Spaghetti.” Richie pinched his cheeks which earned him a groan from Eddie. Richie began to laugh his glasses almost falling off his face. He pushed them back onto his nose and looked behind Eddie right at Emily. She froze as his eyes did not leave hers. Suddenly a hand dropped on her shoulder and pulled her back. She held back a scream before turning her attention behind her.

“Hey what are you doing?” Ethan looked concerned and confused as to why she was over by the bleachers. Emily turned around quickly but the back of the bleachers was empty as if they have not been touched for years. 

“I saw, I saw them. They were…” Emily didn’t finish for she saw Ethan was not understanding her. She felt her eyes begin to sting. “It’s fine I just thought I..” Just as before, she felt her body being pulled but this time into Ethan. He hugged her making the cold feeling in her chest stop. Seeing her father in love was something that she always wanted and she felt like she understood why Richie was in pain. He didn’t have Eddie anymore. Ethan’s lips touched her forehead, spreading warmth throughout her body. She relaxed into his arms even if it was only for a second before they separated. Emily wiped her tears away and gave Ethan a smile.

“Come on, let’s continue on with the tour.” Ethan grabbed Emily’s hand and she did not try to move away. She felt like for the first time today she could be around Ethan. She still has many questions about what he was going through but for now, she is happy with enjoying his presence.  
The sky began to turn gray as they made their way over to the Barrens. Emily remembered everything about it from it’s greeneries to the large lake that surrounded it. The only difference was lack of trash and a no littering sign. 

“This is the Barrens my father said him and his friends would hang out here all the time.” They walked through the bush into the open field right above the lake. A scarlet haired boy was taking photos of the lake. He was tall and skinny. He had freckles scattered on his arms and face. Everyone stopped and waited for the boy to turn.

“Oh, I’m sorry did you guys need this space?” He looked familiar but not enough to be someone in her life. He reminded Emily of the girl she saw with Richie. She had the same red hair and freckles. 

“No, it’s all good I am just showing these guys around. Are you from Derry?” Lucas smiled at the unknown teen making sure he wasn’t a threat. 

“I’m just visiting I heard my parents grew up and fell in love here. I wanted to see what it was like.” He wasn’t as confident with his words compared to Lucas. He was shy and had a hard time looking at Lucas in the eye. Emily could see Ethan tense up from the corner of her eye. He looked at the teen as if he greatly despised him. Emily was about to say something but decided to wait. 

“Who are your parents? My Dad may have known them.” 

“Beverly and Ben Hanscom.” The whole group went quiet. The teen looked nervously at the group wondering why they all looked so shocked. Lucas extended his hand to him.

“I’m Lucas, I believe all our parents were friends.”

“I’m Harry Hanscom. It’s nice to meet you all.” He began to shake the other hands as they introduced themselves. Ethan shook his hand as well but the grip was firm and it seemed to almost hurt Harry. 

“Did your parents keep their past secret from you as well?” Stacey did not wait to ask the big questions.

“Yes. They said it was very painful and I respected that for a while. However, their anniversary is coming up and I wanted to see where it all started.”

“Not much to see here then. Can we move on?” Ethan walked away from the group back to the road. Everyone looked at each other awkwardly until Emily decided to follow him. As Emily began to walk a drop of water landed on her check. She ignored it and continued to walk towards Ethan. Rain slowly fell and scattered onto the ground.

“What’s going on with you?” Emily waited for a reply but got none. She walked in front of Ethan successfully making him stop.

“Nothing is wrong we just need to continue with this tour.”

“There is obviously something wrong. You have been acting weird since yesterday.” Emily tried to touch his arm but he jerked away. It was as if that hug hours ago didn’t happen. 

“Please just talk to me.”

“You wouldn’t understand. You haven’t seen what I’ve seen.” 

“Talk to me. I am sure I can understand if you explained it.” Ethan stayed silent even with Emily’s plea. His eyes were dark as if he was recalling a night terror. Instead of answering her he walked away. The rain dropped harder making their clothes damp. The rest of the group began to walk back towards Emily.

“Ethan!” He continued to walk ignoring Emily. He needed to sit down he needed to process everything he has seen. His dreams were not soft memories like the others. They were filled with grief and fear. Two things that should never be mixed. Ethan made his way back to his grandparents’ house. He rounded the corner ready to approach the front door. However, a flash of yellow stopped him in his tracks. A young boy no older than 6 ran out of his grandparent’s home. A yellow raincoat stood out against the roaring rain. A small paper boat was placed in the water and began to flow down the stream. The child’s giggle filled Ethan’s ears. Ethan began to walk and follow the child without even thinking. He stayed far enough away not to be noticed but close enough to see the child splash his shoes into the water. Ethan watched the kid run to catch up with the little boat. The boat was flying down the street thanks to the fast current. They turned onto Witcham Street. There was a storm drain up ahead that threatened the end to the boy’s fun. A child scream was heard as the boat fell down the drain. The child got on his hands and knees and looked into the drain in hopes to find his precious boat. Ethan tried to catch up but an invisible force stopped him a few feet away from the boy.

“Hey, don’t get too close it’s not worth it.” Ethan’s words fell on deaf ears as the child looked closer into the drain.

“Hi, Georgie.” The words sent a chill down Ethan’s spine. A feeling of dread consumed him for he knew what this was. He had a dream of his father crying and stuttering the name, Georgie. Bright yellow eyes reflected in the water. Only George could see what hid beneath. “Want your boat, Georgie?”  
Ethan felt paralyzed as he watched the voice manipulate Georgie. Georgie smiled and laughed like his younger brother George. They began to talk about a carnival with snacks and balloons. Ethan smelled the familiar aroma of popcorn and cotton candy. This couldn’t be real. It sounded as if there was a clown in the drain. No person other than a child could fit in that small of a space.

“Do they float?”

“Float? Oh yes, indeed they do.” Georgie got closer and closer as he reached for the boat. Ethan was screaming his name trying to get the child to stop. To run away. Anything but grab that boat. His throat felt raw but he continued to scream. However, Georgie’s scream shut Ethan up. Blood mixed with water as the boy flew away from the creature in the drain. His arm was ripped right off and he was bleeding profusely. Ethan watched in horror as the six-year-old did his best to crawl away from the drain, from the monster who took his arm. Ethan’s legs began to shake. No matter what he did he could not make himself move. A hand began inching out of the sewer. Its fingers were long and white similar to tree branches. It grabbed hold of Georgie’s leg and dragged him down into the drain with it. Ethan felt powerless as he watched the child cry and scream before being dragged out of sight.  
As if a spell was broken Ethan could move his legs again. He fell to the ground before getting up and sprinting towards the drain. He looked inside to see nothing but darkness and dead leaves. Ethan collapse on the sidewalk and did his best to catch his breath. Why couldn’t he move? Why couldn’t he save him? What happened in this town? As the rain fell hard onto the town of Derry, the blood that Ethan saw was gone leaving no evidence to say what he saw was real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got this one out real quick. Please don't be afraid to let me know what you think! Thank you!


	6. Something Lurks Beneath The Porch

They found Ethan shaking on the front porch. He was sitting down letting the rain pour on his already soaked clothes. His lips were tinted blue and his hands were holding the step with such pressure that his knuckles almost looked translucent. No one said anything as they approached him. His face said it all. Ethan looked as if he stared death in the face and did not look away. His eyes looked tired as if he had aged twenty years. Emily helped him on to his feet and walked him inside. The others distracted Ethan’s grandparents as Emily and Ethan headed upstairs. He made no sound other than the casual shiver. She wanted to say something but didn’t know what to say. 

“I’ll grab you some new clothes while you take a shower.” He smiled lightly at Emily before entering the bathroom. She quickly walked into the room and began to go through his luggage for pants and a shirt. He had never been this quiet since she met him. She wanted to ask what happened. She knew something happened it wasn’t just their fight. She found a thick sweater and sweatpants that would work well to keep him warm. Emily knocked on the bathroom door lightly. “I’m going to leave these on the counter is that okay?”

There was no response but the bathroom door was unlocked so she took it as a sign that it would be okay. Emily slowly opened the bathroom door. The room was filled with moisture causing the mirror to fog up. She quietly placed the close by the sink. Behind the shower curtain, a quiet sob was heard. She did her best to leave as soon as possible. There was nothing she could so and she hated it. Emily tried to understand her friends and people around her since others had a hard time understanding her. How do you understand someone who will not talk to you about what they are going through? Emily decided that hot chocolate may not be the answer to everything but it could help with the cold. Thirty minutes past before Ethan walked into the room. Emily sat there with two mugs of hot chocolate in her hands. She smiled awkwardly at Ethan before motioning for him to sit next to her. He sat next to her silently and took one of the mugs from her hand. They sat there silently for a few minutes. The rain bounced off the closed window. As calming as rain should be it was nothing of the sort. Emily could feel the anxiety coming off of Ethan. His breathing was hard and she thought of offering her inhaler. 

“Thank you.” Emily jumped at the sound of his voice. It was scratchy and Emily almost didn’t hear it. He looked tired and worn out as if he was thrown around like a doll. 

“Of course, I thought it would help, with the coldness.” Emily traced her thumb on the mug feeling herself becoming nervous. Ethan made a snorting noise before laughing for the first time that night.

“Coldness, really?” 

"Shut up. I am trying to help you.” 

“Well, you are off to a bad start.” Emily began to stand up at that. Ethan began to laugh louder and grabbed for Emily’s hand. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. You are helping please stay.” Emily sat down with a smile feeling victorious. They began to talk about small things anything that didn’t happen in the last twenty-four hours. It didn’t matter the time for one hour turned to two and two turned to three. 

“So I told him that if he ever tried to send Kelly dick picks again I would send them to his mother.” Emily giggled in between words trying to explain the story from tenth grade. Both mugs were left on the table empty. 

“Are you serious?” Ethan was laughing so hard that he almost fell off the bed. “What did he do?”

“He sent her another one a week later.”

“What you do?”

“I sent them to his mother. She was very sweet. I saw him cry during lunch it was fantastic.” Both teens broke out in laughter. Emily felt her breath quicken and she reached for her inhaler and took a puff before smiling at Ethan. Her asthma had been acting up since she started this trip. It had been very emotional and Ethan was there every step of the way. She wanted to be there for him too. Once they both settled down a comforting silence grew between them. 

“I’m sorry for being so cold to you recently. I have been getting dreams too but not as nice as yours.”

“What do you mean?” Ethan sighed before continuing.

“You see moments from both your fathers’ lives. I’ve seen some as well but they are not so happy. I don’t know how to explain it but there is something wrong with this town. I understand why my dad stayed away from it. I don’t know how Lucas does it.” Emily had noticed since they arrived that the town had been off. Everything looked normal but it also seemed like a façade. The adults seemed nice enough but none of them seemed very aware except for those like Mike. 

“I saw Richie and Eddie by the bleachers today It wasn’t a dream I pinched myself and they were there kissing behind the bleachers. I felt like I interrupted a private moment in time. It’s great to know that they have this relationship but it was scary at the same time.” Ethan nodded in understanding. Emily didn’t want to complain about what she has seen because it wasn’t bad at all. She found out why her father was so sad. He missed his Eddie Spaghetti.

“And you can’t move closer and they can’t hear you right?”

“Yeah! That’s how it was.” Emily felt relieved that Ethan understood it. She felt like she sounded crazy saying it. 

“When you guys found me back at the house. That’s when I saw something like that.” Emily grabbed Ethan’s hand to stop it from shaking. He let out a deep breath before continuing. “It was my uncle. It was a memory of the day he died.” Emily’s eye went wide at his words. 

“Did you see how?”

“Yes… It wasn’t how my father explained it at all.” Emily could see he was falling in that state again. His eyes began to darken at the memory and Emily knew they needed to change the subject. 

“Well, I’m here for you. You can talk to me about them now.” Emily smiled and began tracing circles over his hand to try and calm him down. It was a technique she learned from her doctor after she had an asthma attack when she was twelve. Her father sitting closely next to her as if she would disappear if he didn’t hold her. Emily felt pain shot through her heart at the thought of Richie. She had not tried to call him since last night. She wanted to call him right then but the feeling of exhaustion took over her and she knew she would need to sleep first.

“Do you have a boyfriend Emily?” Emily turned bright red at the questions not really expecting it.

“Oh no, those are not for more.” He looked confused and Emily felt like she was going to dig a hole she could not get out of. “Well, what I mean is I haven’t found a decent guy. Not a lot of people in high school are looking for deep loving relationships.” Emily laughed at herself hoping her rambling wasn’t too obvious.

“I understand that.”

“Do you?” What was she asking? Why was she asking? Emily wanted to look anywhere but Ethan’s eyes. It’s getting late she should go to bed and not see him ever again. 

“Oh no. I have had some in the past but your right people are not looking for a real relationship in high school.” The mood shifted so fast Emily didn’t know if she could handle it. Emily looked at the alarm clock to see that it was almost five in the morning.

“Holy shit. It’s almost five.” Ethan turned to the clock before looking back at the Emily. Emily began to get up and collect the mugs when Ethan’s hand landed on her arm. He looked nervous almost insecure.

“I um, I was wondering if you could sleep with me here. I don’t know if I can be alone with this.” Emily nodded and began getting under the covers. She didn’t need to be told twice. Ethan smile before joining her. They were awkward at first, not sure how they should sleep next to each other. Their faces were so close together Emily didn’t know how she would sleep. However, as there breathing began to sync and the exhaustion began to wash over them, Emily got closer to Ethan and drifted off. As they both began to drift into their dreams another woke to a nightmare.

Lucas woke up at five thirty in the morning every day to run. He liked to run around Derry and get his day started early. He needed to be in shape especially when it wasn’t football season. It was also the best time to see Derry in its true form. In the early hours, Derry is a ghost town. Some say it is haunted by them. However, Lucas knew better. Living here all his life he knew that this town was anything but a town. Yes, there was a community, shops, hospital, schools, and jobs but it seemed fake. No adult other than a few could remember any of the tragic deaths in town. Many kids who were not adults even forgot about the death of Georgie. It was as if his memory was erased when he was taken down that drain. Lucas knew only because of his father. Mike wrote a book about the history of Derry and his experience with the creature that made Derry it’s home. Derry wasn’t a town. It was a monster’s nest. Lucas turned a corner on to the street of the old Ironworks. It had been years and the old crumbling building was torn down and built into another. He slowed down to a walk once he was in front of it. The architecture was not too great. They tried for a more modern look that made the building stand out like a sore thumb. Lucas looked at his watch, ready to continue. Yet, as he looked back up the building morphed into the old Kitchener Ironworks. It was barely a building only the skeleton of one but just like every year, IT appeared. From a distance, he could see his father approaching the building. At first, this moment terrified Lucas. He was twelve the first time he saw it, about the same age as his father. Lucas ran home crying and that was the day he learned about IT and what his father had gone through  
Lucas watched as the illusion of his father screamed in terror at the giant bird in front of him. IT stretched its wings and began to approach Mike. Mike began to run for his life. 

Lucas was in a state of shock but not because of the memory in front of him. This memory never happened at this time of the year. It is always during the summer. Lucas didn’t wait for the memory to finish. He began to run fast. Ethan’s face when they got back to the house should have been obvious. Ethan saw a vision, a memory. Lucas felt himself becoming more worried as he got closer to town. His younger father’s screams made him cover his ears. If they all are seeing what Ethan is seeing they would eventually see the monster who left its den.

“Richie why the fuck did you do that?” Eddie was applying rubbing alcohol to a cotton pad before dabbing it over Richie’s eyebrow. They were in an alleyway seconds after a visit from Tyler Silmore. Tyler was throwing slurs at Eddie and was about to throw some fists when Richie opened his big mouth. So instead of Eddie being the punching bag, it was Richie. 

“They were disrespecting my boyfriend. I had to defend your honor babe.” Eddie shook his head and began to wipe the blood off Richie’s face. Eddie looked down at the ground to see Richie’s glasses broken on the floor. “Well shit, got another reason for my mom to hate me.” Eddie knew Richie wasn’t joking. 

“Hold on.” Eddie reached into his fanny pack and revealed an extra pair of glasses for Richie. He slowly moved them in front of Richie’s face careful to not touch his bruised eye. Eddie smiled as Richie stared at the teen in front of him. 

“I love you.” 

“What?” Eddie pretended he didn’t hear because he wanted to hear it again.

“Are you fucking deaf? I love you Eds.” Richie looked embarrassed and wouldn’t look Eddie in the eye. Eddie decided that even though there could be thousands of germs on Richie’s face, a kiss wouldn’t hurt. He leaned in and placed his lips on Richie’s cheek. 

“I love you too Trashmouth.” Eddie continued to patch up Richie. A comfortable silence grew. 

“I need to toughen up for when we see that fucking clown again. So this is good practice.” Eddie knew he was trying to be funny but there was nothing funny about it. Eddie frowned at the thought of having to see that thing again. 

“Don’t say that.” Richie held Eddie’s hand in his and gave it a kiss.

“I’ll be right by your side Eds.” Eddie looked like he was on the brink of tears. 

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Emily woke up with tears in her eyes and she played back the memory back in her head. Every memory was slowly becoming sadder. She had no idea where Eddie was or if he was even alive. She moved to her side and almost jumped at the feeling of another body next to her own. She calmed down when she saw Ethan’s sleeping face. Emily had forgotten they slept next to each other last night. Emily slowly sat up to look at the time. It was almost noon. Her stomach woke up as well and Emily decided to surprise Ethan with some sandwiches from the store. She slowly left the room trying not to wake him. She closed the door and let out a sigh.

“So what were you guys doing last night?” Emily nearly screamed as she turned around to see Stacey with a big grin on her face. 

“Nothing, we were just talking.” Stacey narrowed her eyes as if Emily was lying.

“Bullshit.”

“I swear to God. Do you want to go to the store with me?”

“Nah, I’m going to see what Lucas is up to.” Emily raised her eyebrow questionably. 

“If you are not going to give me details I don’t need to give you mine.” Stacey winked before heading back into her room. Emily laughed and headed down the stairs.   
Emily opened the door to the shop. A small bell rang letting the cashier know that she had entered. She looked at the man behind the counter who looked at her before looking back at his newspaper. It may be a small town but it didn’t have that friendly small town feel. Emily walked through the aisle before finding what she needed. She looked through the sandwich options wondering what Ethan may like. She decided on a ham and swiss and began to reach for it but another hand beat her to it. She looked to her right to see Harry Hanscom. He looked as startled as her. 

“I’m sorry did you want this one?” Harry shook his head before baking away.

“Oh no, you take it.” He looked nervous as if she was going to yell at him. Instead, Emily handed him the sandwich and picked up another instead.

“Don’t worry about it. Turkey is a good choice too. Where are you staying?” Emily smiled trying to seem as friendly as possible. She didn’t want to scare him off especially cause she didn’t know him well.

“I’m staying at the bed and breakfast across the way. The owners are lovely.” Harry began looking at his camera. Emily looked over, curious on what kind of photos he took. 

“May I see your photos?” Harry finally looked her in the eyes as a blush spread across his face. She had never met someone as shy as Harry. Maybe it was because she grew up with a charismatic father.

“S-sure.” Emily took a step closer and leaned in to see the camera. Harry started at the beginning of his time in Derry. He took photos of the sign and the buildings.

“Are you more of a landscape photographer?”

“Yep, my father is an architect so he showed me the beauty of buildings especially the older models.” They continued to look at the many buildings he captured and pictures of the Barrens. All the pictures were shot beautifully, he had a real talent for it. One picture caught her eye. It was a house that wasn’t much of a house anymore. Decaying wood surrounded the area where the house once stood. There was a well right where the middle of the house would be located. It was the only thing left standing. 

“You have a talent for it. Would you mind sending them to me? Here is my number.” Emily grabbed her phone to prepare to exchange numbers. Harry hesitated before grabbing his own. “Also don’t be afraid to hang out with us. We would love to get to know you. If you want of course.”

“I don’t know if Ethan would be a fan of that.” 

“Oh don’t worry he will! He is just going through a lot at the moment, we all are.” Emily gathers her things and began heading to the register. Harry followed and looked at Emily as if she was an Alien. Maybe he wasn’t use to people being so friendly. She paid for her thing and thanked the man. 

“I’ll definitely do that.”

“Great! Then I’ll see you soon then?” 

“Yeah! I’ll see you soon.” Harry smiled before waving at Emily as she headed down the street. She felt happy that she could get Harry to come out of his shell a little bit. She wanted to get to know everyone and see what they were like. Seeing all their parents in her dream made her curious about them. However, with the possibility of new friends came the worry that she would forget about the reason she was here. Eddie. Mike did not give her a real answer if her father was dead or alive. She felt like she was running in circles while others watched laughing. She felt stupid. Emily hated not knowing what everyone else knew. So far all she knew was that he and Richie had a relationship that she never knew about. It worried her cause Richie never told Emily about the things that hurt him most. She also wondered why they mentioned a clown. How could clown make them both shake from fear?

Emily was so lost in thought that she didn’t take the right street back. She found herself on 29 Neibolt Street. The houses looked archaic as if they were all that was left during an end of the world movie. Emily looked at each house with interest until she heard footsteps in front of her. She turned to see a small boy wearing a fanny pack. Emily’s eyes grew wide as she realized it was her father. Just like before she could only get so close before a force stopped her. She tried to get as close as she could to see his features. At the moment she could only see the back of him. He held an inhaler in his right hand. Emily reached into her own pocket and felt her inhaler. She never knew he had asthma. 

“Excuse me.” Emily had a feeling he would not be able to hear her. There was no way he could since it was a dream. She watched as he looked at the last house on the block nervously. It was the one that Harry took a photo off. However, it was still standing. It looked like it was going to fall apart and second but it was in a completely different shape compared to the photo she saw. How could that be? A watch alarm went off and the boy stopped. Eddie opened his fanny pack and grabbed some pills from it. However, he didn’t stop looking at the house. Even with his alarm going off he got closer to the house. Emily could see a good portion of his face now. He looked curious yet timid. She wanted to tell him to stop, to go home. Suddenly a figure appeared on the porch. It wasn’t a clown. It looked like a human, however, his face was decaying on one side and the nose was practically gone. Eddie screamed and backed away from the creature. It rose up slowly as if it was rising from a grave. Emily felt her blood turn cold as she watched him offer Eddie a blowjob for a quarter.

“I don’t have a quarter.” Eddie looked disgusted but mostly horrified at the sight in front of him. Emily mirrored that expression as she watched her young father struggle to breathe.

“I’ll do it for a dime.” The man looked as if he was slowly decaying with every step he took. He smiled at Eddie in a predatory way.

“I…I don’t have a dime either.” The man began to quicken his pace which made Eddie reach for his bike in fear. Eddie got on and began peddling as fast as he could.

“I’ll blow you for free.” The man began to scream the words over and over as he chased Eddie down the street. The kid was screaming with no one other than Emily to hear. He peddled till he was out of sight. Emily stood there stunned. She was shaking trying her best not to breath harshly. That’s when the man turned around and looked straight at Emily. 

“How about you darling? Got a quarter?” Emily dropped the bag of sandwiches and ran in the opposite direction. She held back a scream for she needed the air in her lungs to run far enough without having an asthma attack. Her throat began to tighten but that did not stop her. Emily did not dare look back even though the man was gone, leaving the plastic bag alone in the street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know your thoughts and theories! Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter.


	7. No More Hiding

Harry smiled to himself as he left the store. He looked at his phone to see the name Emily Tozier with a smile in his contacts. He was relieved that Emily was nice to him. After the events of yesterday, he wasn’t sure how they would treat him. Of course he didn’t know these people, it shouldn’t matter what they thought. However, Harry had a problem with how people viewed him ever since he came out. He was teased at a young age for being feminine. Harry never played sports or video games. His interests consisted of photography and collecting dried flowers. It was not something a normal straight teen would do. When he finally came out to his parents he was welcomed with hugs and promises of always being supported. Harry was overjoyed and thanked his parents for being so understanding. He had always wanted a love like theirs. Yet, he worried he would not find the right person.

Harry walked up the stairs to his hotel room. He wasn’t sure what he should do. He wanted to hang out with Emily and the others but feared how Ethan would react. They seemed to be searching for answers just like him. While he was here to see where his parents grew up, he was really here to see why his mother would wake up screaming some nights. He also wanted to know why his father had that scar of an H on his stomach. He always wore a shirt and it took years before Harry was able to see it. He loved his parents but was sick of the secrets they were keeping.

Once inside the room, he dropped his bag on the bed before entering the bathroom. It wasn’t like any bathrooms he had used before. The pink tile surrounded the small room almost overwhelmingly. It seemed to be remolded in the late seventies and was never remolded again. The sink and bathtub had the same bright pink color. Harry turned on the warm water and began to wash his hands. He thought of how he could visit the water tower next or even the library. That was where his father wrote the poem. A chilling laugh broke him from his thoughts. 

At first, he did not know where it was coming from. It could be some kids playing outside the window. Yet, the window was closed. He stopped the water and turned away to dry his hands. Once he turned back he almost jumped from the sight in front of him. There stood his mother. She was thirteen and her hair was cut short. She was looking into the sink asking if anyone was there. He watched entranced by what he was seeing. Harry saw her move closer into the sink as if she would be able to see all the way down. She left the room quickly which made Harry wonder if she was even real. He was about to leave the bathroom to take a walk till she came back in with a tape measure. Beverly began pushing it down the drain. Harry wanted to tell her to stop for he didn’t see a reason for it. Even if there was someone down there a tape measure wouldn’t help.   
Harry let out a breath, trying to gather the courage to speak to his mother. He knew he had to be dreaming. She pulled out the tape measure to reveal a thick bloody hair wrapped around it. Harry felt his stomach begin to turn as he covered his mouth to keep from gagging. Blood. Blood was something he could not handle. Harry fainted at the sight of blood ever since he saw Sherry Bloom bleeding on the playground. She was crying as blood gushed from her knee. Harry couldn’t tear his eyes away and fainted after the blood began to drip down her calf. It was only a matter of time for him to fall to that same fate. 

Suddenly hair began to spread out from the drain. It wrapped its wet locks around her neck. She began to scream which made Harry’s legs begin to shake. The hair looked as strong as rope as it pulled her closer to the drain. He wanted to get up and stop her but something was holding him back. He could only watch in horror as she continued to scream for her life. Blood began to rise in the sink and Harry didn’t have a chance to look away before it burst through the drain. Blood rushed out as if it was trying to tame a fire. Panic began to rise in Harry’s chest as he watched his mother become drenched in blood. The walls, the floor, even the tub was covered in blood. Harry felt blood splatter on his face making him dizzy. Beverly continued to scream before falling and pushing herself far away from the sink. A loud laugh began to bounce off the bathroom walls. Harry fell to the floor. His head hit the ground hard leaving an open wound. He looked at his mother’s terrified face before losing consciousness hoping to wake up from this nightmare.

Emily barley reached the Denbrough house before collapsing on the front steps. Her breathing was rigid as tears fell from her face. She didn’t know how to explain what she saw to anyone. The man’s withering lips smiling at Emily from across the street. She raised the inhaler to her mouth. She closed her eyes and could see Eddie’s face clearly behind her eyelids. His trembling hands, his hesitant eyes. The medicine spread down her throat and she felt relief instantly. She opened her eyes expecting to see the decaying form from earlier. Instead, she was welcomed to a quiet street. The only sounds were of cars that past. Emily let out a shaky sigh as she clutched the inhaler in between her fingers. It was over now. She could relax. The front door opened with a loud snap. Emily stood up quickly and began wiping the tears off her cheeks. 

“Emily darling why are you out here? You are going to freeze.” Ethan’s grandmother smiled down at Emily. Her eyes roamed Emily’s face. Emily’s skin was hot to the touch and her eyes were slightly swollen. Emily wanted to scream she wanted to explain what had just happened. Yet, this old woman was looking at her with such concern and love that she worried what would become of her if she knew the truth. 

“I’m just getting some fresh air.” Emily walked inside trying to ignore the looks Ethan’s grandmother was giving her. She headed upstairs ready to call her father and ask him questions. Did he know about the man hiding under the porch? Did Eddie tell him or did he see him as well? Emily had almost reached the door to her room. She was so close to the door she almost broke out in tears. However, the sound of a door opening stopped her in her tracks. 

“Hey, what took you so long?” Ethan smiled looking as if he was prepared to hit her with another one of his jokes. Emily turned fully to face him and realized she had left the bag of sandwiches on the street. Guilt broke the dam of tears that she tried to hold back. Ethan quickly wrapped her in his arm and moved into the room to not let others hear. Emily held on to Ethan’s arms as if he was the only thing keeping her from falling. It took time before she could regain her composure. 

“I-I saw Eddie.” Emily looked at her inhaler thinking of the young boy biking down the street peddling his heart out, hoping to not be caught in the slimy grip of that man. “There was….a man. He looked homeless, he looked dead even. I…” Emily didn’t know what else to say. The memory played back in her head like a film. 

“The Leper?” 

“You know what he is?” Emily moved away from Ethan to look at him in the eye. Did he see what she saw in a dream or maybe Bill had seen the Leper too?

“I had a dream where my dad and all his friends were talking about creepy things they had seen around town. Eddie talked about a man who looked as if he was a walking disease. They all had seen something. It was something trying to get them, trying to kill them.” Emily had a hard time not believing this all was a dream. Ever since they had arrived in Derry she never stopped feeling uncomfortable. Even with the beautiful trees and lakes, the town was not as quiet as it seemed. Something was rotting inside the town. It had no stench. Yet, it took over Emily’s senses and made her see things that were not really there.

“Why would someone try to kill them?”

“I don’t think it was a person. I think it was more of a something.” Ethan did not get a chance to explain for the door to the bedroom opened revealing an annoyed Stacey. 

“Have you guys seen Lucas? He was supposed to meet with me but he never showed.” Stacey tried to look as if it didn’t upset her off. However, her hand balled into a fist said otherwise. Emily looked at Ethan before turning her attention towards Stacey. She wondered if she should tell Stacey what she say today. Ethan could tell her what he saw as well. 

“No, we haven’t. Do you want help looking for him?” Stacey eased at Emily’s words and smiled in appreciation. Emily did not think now was the best time to explain that Stacey’s father may have escaped death in his childhood. They also did not have all the facts. 

“Yeah, let’s start in the…” The telephone ringing from downstairs caught their attention. It was quickly picked up by Ethan’s grandmother. A few moments later they heard their names being called.

“Ethan dear, Mike wants to show you and your friends some fun facts at the library.” Ethan looked at Emily to see if she was thinking what he was thinking. She nodded before they headed out of the bedroom. It was no coincidence that Mike had called them that day. It was also no coincidence that Mike knew they all would be together. This town was filled with many things but none of them were coincidences.

The three teens headed out to the library. Emily couldn’t help but look around as they walked over. She feared that man would be lurking behind the grocery store or the blue house at the end of the street. He could be hiding under the porch, waiting for them to pass by. His grotesque fingers will reach for Emily’s ankle and drag her into the dark. Emily reached for her inhaler and brought it up to her mouth. Both Ethan and Stacey looked at Emily with concern. For the first time since they traveled to Derry Emily felt annoyed by that look. What it really meant was are you able to handle this. Are you able to survive? She didn’t want to seem weak just because she needed medicine for her lungs.

“I’m okay. Just not use to this smogless air.” Emily did her best to seem light-hearted about it all. However, she could tell Ethan and Stacey didn’t really believe that was the reason. Well, if they did they didn’t mention it. Once they got to the Derry Library parking lot, Emily saw a man holding his head lightly sitting on a bench. As they got closer Emily could see it was Harry with a gash on his forehead. A blood-stained cloth was pushed up against the wound. She broke out in a run which caused Ethan to call after her. She ignored his call and continued to run till she was in front of Harry. He looked up at Emily, almost startled by her appearance.

“Oh, hello Emily.”

“What happened?” Emily bent down to get a closer look at his face. She wondered if he saw something as well. 

“Could you do me a favor? I can’t stand looking at blood. Can you change out the cloth please?” Harry looked tense as if he was holding an invisible weight on his shoulders. Emily grabbed the cloth and replaced it with a fresh clean one. The wound was not as big as she thought. However, it needed to be treated with a bandage. 

“Why didn’t you go to the hospital?” Emily began to lightly pat the wound so the cloth would begin to soak up the blood. Harry kept his eyes closed, too afraid to open them.

“I got a call from Mr. Hanlon. He said to come to the library right away.” Stacey and Ethan were now behind Emily. Stacey brought her hand up to her mouth in shock. Ethan crossed his arms and sighed in annoyance. Emily was ready to turn around and put him in his place but the red-headed boy in front of her needed her attention. 

“Let’s go inside and see if they have a first aid kit. It’s okay I can lead you just breathe.” Emily took Harry’s arm and lead him towards the front door. Stacey followed behind them but turned when she realized Ethan was not following her. She looked behind her to see Ethan with a frown on his face. She shot him an icy glare and motioned for him to follow. He followed reluctantly behind her.

“Hey guys! Woah, are you okay Harry? Let me get you a first aid kit.” Lucas ran over to the supply closet. He grabbed the white box with the familiar red cross and rushed back towards the teens. Emily took the box from him and began to gather the materials she needed. She wasted no time and began to wipe the blood off his forehead. 

“Take deep breaths, the blood is almost gone.” Stacey grabbed Harry’s hand and squeezed it. Emily could tell she was doing her best not to talk to Lucas or even look at him. The tension in the room grew as the group stayed silent. Emily wiped the wound with an antibacterial pad. Harry winced in response to the burning sensation spreading throughout his skull. Once she finished wiping the area, Emily placed a bandage over the wound. Ethan loomed over her, watching her every move.

“You are pretty good at this Miss Hollywood. You nurse on the side?” Emily rolled her eyes before closing the first aid kit. “My dad has a tendency of tripping over things or breaking his glasses when he wears them.” 

“Nothing has changed with that Trashmouth.” The sound of Mike’s vice made the teens jump in fright. They looked to see Mike standing in front of the hallway. His eyes looked tired as if he had not slept the night before. “Please, come into my office.” He turned around and walked into the office, expecting them to follow. Just like a few days ago they were all sitting near Mike’s desk but this time they had one more person wanting answers. Mike’s desk was filled with photo books and journals. “For years I have researched this town and his history.” Mike began to flip through the photo book until he found the page he was looking for. He flipped the book over so the teens could see the photos inside. 

“What are these?” Stacey leaned in to get a better look which encouraged the others to do the same.

“These are incidents in Derry that have happened every twenty-seven years. These photos and the history has been forgotten by the people of Derry with every passing year.” The photos were of many places around Derry. Lucas looked at the Kitchen Ironworks burning. There was chaos outside as firefighters struggled to put out the fire. The photos included several missing children flyers.

“What does all this mean?” Emily felt more confused than she did before. These pictures didn’t connect to the memories she has seen. There was no crazed man running around the streets of Derry in these pictures. None of these kids looked familiar as well. Mike let out a sigh before gathering his hands together. He pressed his palms together as he thought of how to explain this in a way they would believe. 

“Your parents and I experienced something that happened every twenty-seven years. There is a reason your parents deal with night terrors Ethan. There is also a reason why your father is not with us anymore Stacey.” There was a long pause before he continued. “You all have seen something out of the ordinary since you have come here yes?” All the teens nodded except for Stacey.

“I haven’t.” She looked uncomfortable at knowing she was the odd one out.

“You will with time. What you children are seeing is memories from what has happened to your parents in their childhood. This town was the home of a creature that was not from this world. It projected our fears by shapeshifting into them.” Emily thought back to the man on the porch and how Eddie was so afraid of him. 

“You have got to be kidding me?” Stacey narrowed her eyes at the man in front of her.

“I can assure you I am not.” Mike’s voice was stern. He showed no evades of lies. “We as a group defeated IT but the first time we were not successful in killing it. Twenty-seven years passed and I called everyone to come back an fulfill the promise we made. Your father…” 

“No, you are expecting me to believe that something was trying to kill my father? Not to mention that this thing caused my father to give up his life?” The room was dead silent and Stacey stood up in rage. She looked torn between what she wanted to do. No one seemed to be backing her up that this was a load of bullshit. Not even Emily who was sitting down looking at her crossed hands. “You guys have fun with your horror stories and bullshit I’m out of here.”

“Stacey come on.”

“No, shut up Ethan. Do you believe this crap?” Ethan did not break eye contact with Stacey. His eyes told her the answer she didn’t want. She turned and left the office. Lucas nodded to his father before following her out. Mike let out a deep sigh while the others let out a breath they didn’t know they were holding in. 

“So, that man… That was chasing after Eddie he was…”

“IT became Eddie’s fear. Just like how IT became a giant bird for me. Everyone has a fear and that was the way of getting IT’s…nutrients.” Mike paused at the word and rubbed his arms as if the word made the temperature in the room drop.

“Wait, does that mean it would eat people?” Harry’s eyes widened at the possibility of his assumption being accurate. He thought of the blood and how his mother was trembling as the hair clung to her body. He closed his eyes for a moment to relax. He didn’t want to pass out in Mike’s office over the thought of blood. 

“Yes, children specifically. That is why we were targeted. These missing children were all victims of IT.” Mike motioned towards the missing children posters in front of him. Emily felt her stomach turn as she imagined all these children being eaten alive by this… She didn’t know what it was.

“So you guys came back? All of you after twenty-seven years?” Emily thought of Richie having to go back to a place filled with such horrifying memories. She would never wish that kind of terror on anyone. 

“Yes well, Stan did not join us. I believe after I called him he made that decision.” Mike looked down at his desk holding back tears. He must have blamed himself for it at one time. Emily noticed that when Stan was mentioned before to Mike that his eyes would gravitate towards the floor. Something clicked in Emily mind. Stan had to be the one that Richie grieved for at home. While Richie never said Stan’s name out loud, he explained how he remembered moments from his past. Emily felt a surge of hope at the thought that maybe Eddie was not dead after all. 

“Is this thing still in Derry?” Ethan thought of his uncle being dragged into the sewer. He swallowed down the rising panic of having to watch any of his new friends meeting the same fate.

“No, we were able to kill IT but there were many casualties. The town of Derry has been the home of IT for so many years that it left a lasting impression. Almost like a stench. Usually, the memories only show on the date they were made. Lucas and I believe it is because you all have come here.” 

“Why are we learning this now though? I understand that it is a terrible time in all your lives but if our parents would have told us in the first place we wouldn’t have had to come here.” Ethan knew what he was saying was rude. He couldn’t help it. He felt hurt that his parents could not be honest with him about their experience. Ethan felt distant from his parents because of it.

“When everyone left Derry their memories left with them. I have stayed in Derry my whole life, so I never lost them. It is hard, having your best friends forget you and having to call them back.”

“So will we forget each other as well?” Emily feared she would forget the friends she had made through this journey. She couldn’t help but look at Ethan who was looking at her as well. His eyes were filled with pain and hers mirrored his own. 

“I am not sure. I am sorry I am the one to have to tell you all of this. However, please keep in mind the pain your parents went through. You never know what someone is going through until you walk in their shoes.”

Stacey wanted to go home. She had wasted so much time on this town, so much time on these people. Do they actually believe a monster came after their parents? It sounded like some Halloween ghost story used to scare kids away from staying out late at night. Stacey walked down the streets of Derry not sure where she was heading. She was filled with frustration. She came on this trip to know more about her father. For years she tried to get her mother to talk about him but to no avail. She would either get angry or just straight up ignore Stacey. Thee were moments where she would catch her mother crying into one of Stan’s sweaters or caressing a photo of him she kept away from Stacey. Stacey never brought it up though. She wasn’t the one to lose a husband. She didn’t have to mourn like her mother did. 

Stacey began walking to the park where the Standpipe stood. She remembered it from the tour Lucas gave them, that was another reason she wanted to leave. Lucas blew her off without any reason or explanation. He wouldn’t even look at her when she was in the library. So much for traveling together. Stacey was about to turn back to the house but the sight of a curly-haired boy stopped her in her tracks.   
He had brown curly hair, exactly how her hair was before she straightened it every morning. The young boy had a book and binoculars with him. He was looking at the trees waiting for something as if he expected it. Stacey slowly approached the boy hoping to not scare him. Yet, she felt her feet stop a few feet away from him. A bird flew by which made the boy open his book and quickly flip through the pages. He looked back up at the bird admiring its beauty. The bird landed in the birdbath a few feet away from the bench where the boy sat. Emily knew from the moment it’s wings spread what kind of bird it was. 

“Cowbird.” Both Stacey and the boy said the name out loud. Stacey almost jumped at the sound of the boy’s voice. It was calm and quiet. She would not have heard him if she was a few steps back. He used his binoculars to get a better view of the bird. Stacey observed the boy feeling as if he was familiar. She didn’t know who he was but she felt a connection that she couldn’t quite comprehend. A loud sound echoed through the park making them jump. Stacey looked up to see the door to the Standpipe open. The boy was still looking around for the source of the noise. A feeling of dread filled her body ad the boy walked closer to the Standpipe.   
She wanted to tell him to stop, that it was too high and dangerous. He made his way over to the door and reached towards the grown to pick up the broken padlock. Stacey followed him as much as she could but the force that kept her away was strong. 

“Is anyone there?” The boy looked into the water tower as if expecting someone to answer him. Music began to bounce off the walls of the Standpipe. The boy began to walk inside it. Stacey could only watch as his curiosity brought him deeper in the dark. She felt as if she was under a spell that would not let her move and talk to the boy in front of her. His actions seemed reckless and foolish. However, the music was like a magnet that pulled him down the stairs. Just as his curls went out of sight the door closed. Stacey yelled and grabbed for the door. It wouldn’t budge. 

“Help! There is a boy locked in here. Please somebody!” No one was around to hear Stacey’s plea. She could hear the music from inside the tower.

“Who’s here?” She could hear the boy scream and a crackling voice that followed.

“The dead ones, Stanley. We’re the dead ones. We sank, but now we float…and you’ll float, too.” Stanley. Stacey felt her body go rigid at the realization that her father was stuck in the Standpipe. She felt her body move backward. The boy began yelling out names of birds trying to scare off whatever that voices were. The door suddenly opened up and Stan came tumbling out of it. He ran as fast as he could trying to distance himself from what was inside. Stacey watching the thing come outside. Stan turned and she finally saw what made him so scared. It was a small child that looked damp and bare. His skin was almost blue and his finger pruned to the bone. Orange pompoms bounced on his fingertips, beckoning Stan back to the Standpipe. Stacey felt hot tears roll down her face as she watched her father run across the street without looking. She fell to her knees trying to understand what she just saw.

A pair of hands wrapped around her shoulders. She screamed and began to move away but the hands were stronger. She expected to see cold damp hands wrapping around her neck. Instead Lucas was holding her down looking concerned at her shaking body. Instead of yell at him or try to move away she threw her arms around his neck and cried into his shirt. He didn’t say anything cause he knew what she saw. Stacey continued to cry holding Lucas as if she let go he would disappear and the drowned children would come back. 

“It’s not real...It’s not real… It’s not….” Stacey could not ignore what was in front of her. She understood now, she understood why her father ended his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all liked this chapter! Please leave a comment and let me know what you think! Thank you : )


	8. Down To The Well Where The Stench OF Truth Holds

Once they left the library they decided to head back to the house. Emily offered for Harry to come with them much to Ethan’s displeasure. Harry agreed, not wanting to go back to that hotel room. He worried that the blood-stained bathroom would be waiting for him. They got a text from Lucas that he would be taking care of Stacey before taking her back to the house. Emily didn’t ask for more details but she could assume why Stacey may need Lucas at the moment. Most likely she saw Stan’s memory. They all decided to take naps due to the exhaustion that came with realizing that killer clowns exist. Harry settled on the couch as Ethan and Emily retired to their bedrooms. Before Emily could open the door Ethan lightly touched her arm. Emily turned to see a blushing Ethan looking at her nervously.

“I-I was wondering if you could…” Emily nodded and followed him towards his room. She knew that he didn’t want to be alone especially after learning of what their parents have gone through. She also was worried what would be in her dreams next. It could be Richie’s fear or even the losers fighting IT. However, as she felt sleep begin to hang heavily on her eyelids, her only thought was of her father in Los Angeles without her.

“You can’t do this.” A seventeen-year-old Eddie was standing in Richie’s soon to be old room. The summer was almost over which meant Richie was the next loser to move. They were about to start their senior year together at least that was what was supposed to happen. Instead, Eddie was on the verge of tears watching Richie pack away his things. Richie had been ignoring Eddie for the last week. He was even ignoring the rest of the losers club. It took them a few days to learn from a teacher that Richie was moving to California. Eddie felt his heartbreak at the words.

“I have to Eds.” Richie threw a few shirts and pants into a luggage bag before closing it up. The messy colorful room of Richie Tozier was now empty and bare of its normal posters.

“You can live with me or Bill. Heck anyone but please not California.” Eddie hated how desperate he sounded. The last year with Richie had been the best year of his life and he knew Richie was going to forget about him just like how Ben forgot last year.

“Eddie, you know I can’t.” Richie tried not to look at Eddie as he moved a box of stuff towards his bedroom door. Eddie grabbed his arm making Richie unable to proceed.

“Look at me goddamnit!” Richie turned to see Eddie in tears. It caused Richie to tear up as well. “I need you. I need you to stay.” The two teens looked at each other, both distraught at the thought of not seeing each other again. Richie didn’t want this. He never wanted this.

“I can call you every day and we can apply to the same colleges it can-“

“You are going to forget just like Ben. He never mailed or called once. When we tried to call him he didn’t even remember us.” Richie remembered that day clearly. It had been a week since he moved away and Mike had the phone up to his ear, excited to hear how his friend was doing. Once the call picked up, Mike’s excitement quickly morphed into shock. Richie could still hear Ben’s confused tone over the phone.

“Mike who?”  

They both knew it was bound to happen. No matter how much they tried, Richie would forget and once Eddie left he would forget too. Richie collapsed into Eddie as he began to sob. The two teens felt as if it was the end. They promised to come back to Derry if IT returned but they forgot about that years ago.

“I’m so sorry Eddie. I love you so much. This is the last thing I want to do.” Eddie held Richie as he cried into his shirt, ignoring the dust-covered hands that were holding him. After a few moments, Eddie reached into his jacket pocket and handed Richie photographs. They were of Eddie and Richie. Many were of them laughing, having fun, and one was of them kissing which made Richie smile.

“I want you to keep these with you all the time. I don’t want you to lose them promise me you won’t lose them.”

“I promise.” Richie held Eddie’s face in his hands before leaning in and giving him a kiss. The kiss was long and drawn out, possibly their last one. They held each other tightly before looking down at the boxes around them.

“Come on let’s get these boxes filled before your mom yells at us.”

“Great, it will give me time to give your mom a goodbye kiss as well.” Eddie threw a book at Richie which caused both boys to laugh.

Emily woke up with tears in her eyes. All she could think about was her father dealing with the pain of losing his first love. She tried to be quiet but Ethan slowly wrapped his arm around her.

“Are you okay Emily?” She wiped the tears from her cheeks before looking at Ethan. He looked more tired than he did before the nap. It seemed his dream was not a happy one either.

“Yeah, it was just a sad memory.”

“There seems to be a lot of those.” They stayed silent for a moment, letting their hearts relax. They both decided to go downstairs and see if Harry was done with his own nap. As they descended the stairs they could see Stacey on the couch across from Harry. Lucas was on her left side rubbing her arm.

“Stacey, what happened?” Emily made her way over to Stacey. She looked emotionally exhausted and her eyes were swollen. Stacey’s hands were lightly shaking even though the room was warm. Harry sat across from her. He prepared tea hoping it would make Stacey feel better. She thanked him before bringing the mug up to her mouth.   

“I found her at the Standpipe. She…” Lucas looked uncomfortable as if he felt like it was not his place to say what happened. Stacey placed the mug on the coffee table before looking at Emily.

“I saw my dad. He was trapped in the water tower and some…kid tried to take him. I’m sorry for yelling at you guys. Oh god, I need to apologize to your father Lucas.” Stacey began to cover her face in embarrassment. Lucas placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

“No you don’t, he understands. Stan felt the same way you did about all of this.”

“I can understand now…why he left this world.” Stacey looked down at the mug and began spinning the tea around. The group stayed silent for a moment before Harry broke the silence.

“I can’t believe something so terrible could be real.” He pushed his glasses up his nose before looking at the group. “I didn’t tell you this but the reason I got this wound was from seeing my mother. She was in my hotel bathroom and there were voices coming from the drain. She looked closer and that’s when the blood began to come out.” His voice began to shake as Harry described what happened hours ago.

“What about you Ethan?” Lucas looked up at Ethan putting the conversation in his hands. Emily felt Ethan tense beside her. She gently placed her hand on his and gave it a squeeze.  
“That day when you gave us the tour and I left. I saw my uncle…being taken down into the sewer. Ever since then my dreams have been of my father seeing Georgie. They haven’t been the greatest I’ll tell you that much.”

“I think we should go to the Neibolt House.” Everything looked at Emily as if she was crazy. “I know that it has been hectic the last few days but there may be more memories for us to see.”

“Well, we won’t get hurt by them at least not physically.” Lucas knew it was a crazy idea but they mine as well see everything he has seen. Ethan opened his mouth to protest but Emily beat him to it.

“I need to know. I need to know what happened to him and where he is.” Emily was sick of playing the waiting game. She wanted answers, answers that no one was giving her. If she could learn more about what they dealt with than maybe it would give her an idea of where her father was. Harry was the first to stand.

“I’ll come with you. You have done so much for me It is the least I can do.” Emily smiled at Harry who smiled back nervously. He looked at Ethan who was glaring at Harry over Emily’s head.

“Count me in short stack.” Ethan messed with Emily’s hair making her bend down to escape his hand.

“Same here. I got you guys into this I should make sure you are prepared for it all.” Lucas stood up and looked down at Stacey. He reached out his hand so she could take it. She was the only one left. She looked nervously at the rest of the teens before   
placing her hand on Lucas’s.

“I guess count me in as well.”

The five children of the losers club walked the streets of Derry in apprehension of what was to come. Before they were born, their parents walked the same streets and dealt with an evil that most could not comprehend. While Emily suggested they visit the Neibolt house, she was the one that regretted it the most. The last time she was there she witnessed her father running for his life from a clown disguised as a disease infested man. If the monster was alive today she would have been monster food by now. She feared many things. None were the usual spiders or fear of heights. What really scared her was disappointing her farther especially with the stunt she pulled this week. Emily loved her father unconditionally and this surprise trip may be the thing to ruin their relationship just like Richie and his parents.

“Emily, you are breathing pretty hard. Are you alright?” Harry poked Emily in the arm, careful not to scare her. She looked up at Harry in mild shock. His red hair glowed in the morning sun and his glasses reminded her of her father’s extra pair at home.

“Oh yes, I am just overthinking. I tend to do that a lot.” Emily laughed lightly and looked down at the sidewalk in front of her. There was a short silence before Harry began to speak.

“I overthink a lot. I overthink about how people view me and if my parents are proud of me.” Harry pushed his glasses farther up his nose before continuing. A sign of nerves that Emily was beginning to catch on to. “I usually take a step back and think to myself was it worth it and do I love myself more because of it? If the answer is no I reevaluate my choices, but if the answer is yes there is no need to worry.” Emily felt the nerves begin to dissolve at Harry’s words.

“Your mother and my father were really close. I had a dream about Richie and Beverly hanging out together. I hope we can stay friends after all this is said and done. Harry looked startled at her words his lips widened to form a joyful smile. He felt warm and accepted. Something that was hard to find.

“I would really like that. As much as I appreciate technology, I like to write letters as well. Maybe I can throw in some of my photography in there and get your opinion. I also plan to attend college in California I wouldn’t mind a tour guide.”

“I would like that very much.” Emily smiled at Harry thankful that he felt the same. She did not have too many friends at home that she could call a true friend. She would make some in college of course but having friends around the states would give her an excuse to travel more and to learn about their interests. If Harry picked a school close by she would be able to see him more. She gave Harry’s hand a squeeze before walking faster to meet up with Stacey. Harry smiled as she walked away until Ethan was by his side. The teen looked annoyed and it was becoming a real pain for Harry.

“You know you have nothing to worry about right?” Harry glanced up at the taller boy who looked surprised that he was being spoken to.

“I don’t know what you mean.” Harry rolled his eyes before nudging Ethan’s arm. He motioned to Emily who was chatting with Stacey in front of them.

“I find Emily very cute, but not in the way you do.” Ethan still looked confused as to what Harry was implying. Harry did his best not to be rude to the boy. He seemed nice when he wasn’t glaring at Harry to back off from Emily.

“Uh…”

“I’m not into women. You get me?” Harry watched as Ethan’s facial expression slowly change to one of regret. Harry expect as much. He probably would have to now feel uncomfortable around Ethan just like he has done in the past with jealous guys. They would always be happy but also uncomfortable with it all.

“I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed anything in the first place. I can be really stupid with my feelings sometimes and I shouldn’t have been rude to you when we met.” Ethan’s eyes showed genuine regret for his actions. Harry felt his mouth open slightly in shock. He wasn’t expecting that kind of answer. “Are we cool?” Ethan extended his hand to Harry who took it gladly.

“We are cool don’t worry about it man but I would do something about that if I were you.” Both teens looked at the girl in front of them. Emily was laughing at one of Stacey’s jokes. Her carefree smile seemed out of place in a town like this. “We don’t have much time here.” Ethan nodded in understanding knowing he had to make his feelings known before things got worse.

“We can walk on the street now, no one drives on it anymore.” Lucas lead the way making sure no one was around. The road had many cracks and bumps making it obvious that the town did not use their tax dollars for it. The homes on both sides seemed to deplete as they grew closer to the Neibolt house.

“Does anyone live on this street?” Stacey inched closer to Lucas in case something popped out of one of the abandoned houses.

“Not anymore, some of the homeless find shelter in them. They were going to redo this whole street but the town didn’t have enough funds to do it. To me, it’s like a landmark of what this town really is.” The houses hunched over as if they were spying on the teens as they walked. Emily felt like they all looked to be from a horror movie. The kind where the house was haunted by a killer ghost just waiting for teenagers to search through it. She did her best to stay calm but seeing the bag of sandwiches she left behind untouched made her shiver in fear. She couldn’t imagine Richie and Eddie at twelve walking down this street ready to kill a menacing clown. 

The teens approached the Neibolt house hesitantly. Nothing had changed since the last time Emily saw it. The walls were still gone and the ground was covered in dirt and weeds. The only thing left standing was a well oddly placed where would be the middle of the home.

“Don’t tell me we have to go down that stinky well.” Stacey looked at her surroundings in disgust before covering her nose. The smell was undeniable. The area smelled of pee and sewage something that Stacey had only smelled in New York during the summer. 

“No, but we should see something soon. Usually, the house will morph back into what it once was and a memory will appear.” Lucas looked around confused. He knew how these things go. He spent his childhood watching the memories unfold in the town. However, they would only happen in the summer. This was a special case.

“I don’t know Lucas it looks the same to me.” Ethan scratched the back of his neck feeling as if there was a bug biting it. Ethan felt something squish in his hand. He brought his hand close to his face where a dead mosquito was spread out with Ethan’s blood. While the others looked at Ethan’s hand in disgust, Lucas looked as if he won the lottery. 

“Blood, that’s it!” 

“What?” Harry looked confused but also couldn’t look at Ethan’s hand directly even after he wiped the blood away.

“Blood! Our parents made a blood pact after they defeated IT the first time. If we do the same thing we may be able to activate the memories.” Everyone looked at each other waiting to see who would agree first. Emily could see the color in Harry’s skin fade at the mention of a blood pact. 

“You don’t have to do this if it makes you uncomfortable?” Emily did her best to comfort Harry who seemed to be getting more nervous as time went on. 

“N-No if this is what it will take to find out about my parents’ past then I’ll do it.” Lucas brought out a pocket knife and looked at the others for approval.

“No one has anything that will make blood touching a health risk right?” 

“Unfortunately no.” Stacey crossed her arms and looked at the knife disapprovingly. 

The teens brought their hands together. Lucas sliced a small line on their palms one by one. Emily made sure to keep eye contact with Harry so he wouldn’t faint at the sight. Once they all were cut they formed a line in front of what once was the Neibolt house. Ethan stood on Emily’s right. It helped to know he would be right next to her in case thing took a turn for the worst.

“Okay on the count of three we will all join hands okay?” Everyone nodded at Lucas preparing for what was to come. “Okay.. one, two…three.” The teens’ hands collided. The feeling of blood on blood was sticky and uncomfortable. However, the changes around them outweighed the feeling. The house began to morph into what it once was. Their parents stood on the doorstep. All sunburnt and shaking from what they had to face. Emily wanted to look at her friends to see if what they were seeing was the same thing. Yet, her head was frozen in place as the memories began to play in front of her. 

Richie was screaming Eddie’s name as he ran into one of the rooms and witnessed IT for the first time. Emily felt her stomach turn as the monster approached Eddie and Richie. She could not see IT’s full form, only the claws that were stretching in anticipation to slash at the kids. 

“Eddie look at me. Don’t look at IT just focus on me.” Richie held Eddie’s face in his hand not letting the smaller boy look at the creature slowly approaching them. The feeling of fear dissolved from Emily’s body as she felt Eddie begin to calm down even in a situation as freighting as this.

“I don’t want to die Rich.”

“I won’t let that happen. That ugly mother fucker will have to go through me first.” The memory began to blur until the room they were once in was no more. The smell of sewage became more prominent as all of the losers stand in the sewer with flashlights. They wander through the sewage carefully and hesitant of where to go. An eerie laugh echoes through the sewer before a high pitched scream makes the children run towards the sound. 

“Stan. Stan where are you?” The kids call out his name causing a sudden overwhelming feeling of dread take over Stacey. She watches as the monster’s teeth begin to extend around Stan’s face. He is screaming for his life but is unable to move from under the clown. There is no clown now, only rows and rows of teeth. The Losers make it just in time to save Stan. As the monster slivers away the children surround Stan who is in a frantic state.   
“You left me. You are not my friends. You made me go in there. This is your fault.” His voice cracked as he tried to move away from his friends. They all looked at him with pain in their eyes. Stacey felt the pain of betrayal and fear that Stan was feeling through the memory. 

“I can’t do this. I can’t do this.” Stacey dropped to her knees letting go of Lucas’s hand. She let herself cry for the father she never knew and would give anything to see him once in her life. The others continued to hold hands as if they could not hear Stacey’s sobs.

Harry chokes as the smell fills his nose. The inner lair of the clown is all around him. The mountain of children’s toys reaches so high that he can not see where it ends. Beverly is being held up by the frightening clown. He looks unsatisfied as she fights him. She is not afraid of IT or anyone. The clown looks back at Beverly with a devilish grin. IT opens it’s mouth and begins to contort into something Harry has never seen. The mouth widens to reveal levels of teeth hiding a light so bright that it almost blinds Beverly. Her eyes begin to cloud over leaving a feeling of emptiness in Harry’s chest. He can’t take his eyes away from the lights that are deep within the creature.

“No, this can’t be real.” Harry let’s go of Emily’s hand and tried to cover his eyes with the back of his hands. The image was gone but its memory remained in Harry’s mind like when he rubbed his eyes too long and saw dark spots. 

Lucas had seen many memories of his father but for the first time, he saw his father not as a child but as a grown man. It was not at the Neibolt house like Lucas had expected. Instead, Mike was in a hospital room dealing with some serious wounds. The room was quiet but in the quiet was a feeling of fear. Mike was not alone and the monster was not letting him get away. A nurse was approaching Mike with a weighted smile. A surge of energy helped Mike become aware of the not so friendly Nurse and their intentions for him

The Nurse grabbed Mike’s neck forcing the man to gasp in fear. Lucas wanted to shout and stop the Nurse from trying to kill his father. Even though he knew it was a memory he found himself in a state of panic. He had never seen this memory before and his father never told him about it. The Nurse’s eyes were clouded with an intense presence that seemed to shift the atmosphere of the peaceful hospital into chaos. Mike struggled as the hand continued to squeeze harder on his neck. Lucas watched in horror until the uncomfortable feeling of anxiety and fear was too much to handle. 

“I’m sorry guys.” Lucas dropped to the floor, letting reality become his comfort. He put a hand up to his neck as if he could feel the pressure that his father experienced. He looked around to see Stacey and Harry on the floor in tears. His eyes rested on Stacey making sure she was alright before looking at the last two standing. Ethan looked to be experiencing a terrible memory. His face was contorted into an expression of disbelief and disgust. Ethan was barely holding on to Emily’s hand. Emily, on the other hand, looked as if she was determined to see more. Her eyes were concentrated on what was in front of her. The screams and fears of their parents were not bothering her. She was looking for answers, she was looking for her father.

Ethan saw nothing but darkness for a while. These memories usually started with Bill seeing Georgie well, hideous versions of Georgie that called for Bill to float with him. What he didn’t expect was to see his mother’s terrified face next to a man he had never seen. She was kicking and screaming trying to get away from the man that brought her into the sewer. Ethan felt her fear was not of being killed by this man, but the possibility of being raped and beaten. It was a fear that he felt deep inside and it stayed there like the red wine stain on his living room carpet.

A sudden presence made him realize that the man’s purpose was to not take advantage of his mother but to present her to IT. The familiar haunting voice began to speak before revealing IT’s true form. While Ethan could not see what the two adults could, he had a full view of their reactions to it. His mother’s eyes grew wide in terror and her screams seemed to echo throughout the sewer. The man beside her was on the ground in seconds. It seemed he died of shock. Ethan was more concerned about how his mother began to stiffen at the sigh in front of her. She was becoming catatonic and he now realized why she was so fragile at home. She was so delicate with everything she touched. Ethan felt his eyes begin to burn as the bright light coming from the monster began to blind him. He lost his footing and fell to the ground. He dropped Emily’s hand and brought the back of his hand up to his eyes. Ethan began to rub them profusely until he saw stars on the back of his eyelids. He looked up to see Emily still in a trance. 

“We got to wake her.” Harry looked at Emily in fear that she would never wake from the memories. She wasn’t holding anyone’s hand. The connection was lost but she somehow was still able to see. Harry reached for her hand but was stopped by Lucas.

“No, we have to let her wake up on her own.”

“But what if she never does?” Stacey looked at Ethan in hopes he would say something. However, the teen was still coming to terms with what he just saw. His mother’s eyes were a milky white before her body fell to the floor next to the body of the man who took her there. A long silence settled between the teens as they sat there and watched Emily’s face for any sign of movement. 

Emily had seen many memories in the time since they started their connection. She saw Richie as a child screaming for his life and also him as an adult doing the same thing. Emily also saw the moment the losers went down to the sewers, the entrance not too far from where they toured yesterday. As she walked with them deeper into the sewer, the rest of the losers began to disappear until there was only Eddie left. She watched as his body stopped in front of where all the sewage connected through Derry. She wanted to call his name but knew it would be futile. She had seen all the kids as adults except for him. Emily had a clear view of his back but nothing else. The body began to turn around slowly. She felt her breath stop in anticipation of seeing what her father looked like. However, a loud laugh broke her from her trance. She blinked once and was now back at the Neibolt house but the laugh was still there and she wasn’t the only one hearing it.

“What was that?” Ethan looked around in case some kid was trying to play a trick on them. Even Lucas looked scarred which only made the other teens more nervous. The laugh began to grow louder and the sound was coming from the old well in the middle of what used to be the Neibolt house. 

“Lucas, is this normal?” Ethan looked at Lucas hoping for the answer yes but by the look on Lucas’s face, Ethan could tell it wasn't. A long slender hand rose from the well. It’s fingers longer than what could be described as human.

“Holy shit.” Harry’s voice almost cracked as his knees began to shake. Inside the white nimble fingers was a red inhaler. The hand stayed there for a moment longer, letting the teens see what it was holding. Emily felt her heart drop knowing who that inhaler belonged to. The hand began to shake the inhaler rapidly causing Stacey to scream and hold onto Lucas’s arm. 

“Come see your father Weezy” The laughter grew louder before the hand disappeared into the well. Emily didn’t think before running over to the well. She could hear the other teens calling her name in protest. She placed her hands on the edge and looked inside. There was no creature moving deep below the surface, only darkness. It called to her. It knew where her father was. She could go down there and… She felt her body being pulled farther away from the well. Her arm reached out to it as if she was a child being taken from their parent. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Ethan’s words barely registered in her mind. Her thoughts were consumed with the idea of learning more memories about her father in the sewer. “Can you hear me?” Emily felt her face being pulled towards Ethan’s. She blinked twice before responding.

“He is down there.”

“What?”

“Eddie, he is down there. His memories are there if we go we can see where he may be. Maybe he moved far away from New York maybe he is in California.” Emily’s words quickened with each sentence. She knew she would need her inhaler sooner than later but she was more concerned about Eddie and his whereabouts.

“No.” Stacey’s voice was like a sharp knife cutting through the hope left in Emily. Emily turned and saw Stacey barely able to stand. She held on to Lucas’s arm in desperation to feel something warm and alive next to her. Hot angry tears rolled down her cheeks. “I am not going down to that hell hole where my father almost died. Hell, all our parents almost died. 

“Fine, you don’t have to come with me. I’ll go…”

“Are you kidding? I am not letting you do that.” Ethan’s grip tightened at her words. He looked at Emily as if she was foolish and stupid, an expression she hated. 

“You don’t own me. No one does. I came here to get answers and that is what I am going to do. You don’t have to come.” Emily stood up, moving away from Ethan. She felt anger begin to boil in her chest. They were all acting like she was crazy, crazy for wanting to know the truth.

“He is dead.” Emily whipped her head around to see Stacey standing on her own now. Her eyes were still swollen from the tears and her clothes stained with blood from their hands. 

“No.”

“Yes, Emily he is dead. Why do you think Mike talked about him in past tense and why he disappeared after they returned to this shit town? You just won't admit it to yourself cause you don’t want to come home to your real father and have him be ashamed of you. You left your dad to search for a guy that was never in your life and never will be.” The group knew Stacey was angry about the situation and letting it all out on Emily. However, Emily was the one that did not realize that. Emily looked as if she had been slapped across the face by Stacey’s words. Her neck was beginning to turn red as she held her breath.

“Screw you, I love my father. I just want to… I just…” Emily felt tears begin to fall. She felt embraced for crying in front of these people who did not seem to give a fuck about her. She wanted to stay friends with everyone but that seemed like a distant memory now. Even Ethan was quiet , avoiding eye contact with Emily. Cowards, all of them. 

“Emily.” Harry stepped closer trying to calm her down. This made her only step back. 

“No, it’s okay I see what you guys think. That’s fine but I am going to prove you all wrong. Just you wait. I am going to find him.” Emily did not wait for them to reply. She began running down the street, ignoring Lucas calling her name. She wanted everything to stop. She wanted to hide, to cry in peace. What Emily wanted most of all was to cry into her father’s arms and apologize for leaving him. 

“Oh my god, I shouldn’t have said those things. Fuck, I was just so frustrated. He is dead down there. Lucas’s father said it himself when she left the room. Why can't he just say it to her.” Stacey wiped the tears from her eyes as she took one last look at the well before walking away. Harry rubbed her shoulder trying to calm her down. Ethan walked with them worried that his inability to stand up for Emily resulted in the end of their friendship and of what could have been something more. He wanted to, he really did. Yet, all the things Stacey said made sense. It was by no means the nicest way to tell Emily but it was the truth. However, he knew that would not stop her and she would go down there. The long fingers stretching out of the well flashed through his mind once again. That could not have been a memory.

As Emily’s figure disappeared out of sight, Lucas wasted no time in calling his father. He knew what she was going to do and he worried that there may be something down there. Not the body of Eddie Kaspbrak but the ghost of a creature that desired her death as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had a bit of a break but I am back with a really long chapter. Please let me know what you think it keeps me going! Thank you!


	9. Rising Impulse

“You’re so fucking annoying.” The voice was familiar and made Richie’s heart stop. He saw the face of a man he only allowed himself to think of occasionally. Eddie Kasbrak stood before him wearing a brown suit jacket that had sleeves that were way longer than they should be. It reminded him of when Eddie would wear Richie’s clothes when they were teens. Oh how different things were. Now he was seeing his first love after twenty-seven years. Eddie had grown but not enough to be considered as a tall man. His hair was much curlier then how his mother would use to style it. Richie expected Eddie to carry himself in a more relaxed posture since Sonya died. However, it seemed he was still holding the weight of his mother over his shoulders. He looked at Richie with caution as if he didn’t know how Richie would react. Richie had been shamelessly gawking at Eddie throughout the whole dinner. He was happy to see all his friends again but the memories with Eddie were what almost brought him to tears. He could tell Eddie felt the same. It was long into the dinner before Eddie excused himself and Richie immediately followed. 

“Oh please Eds, you love me.” Instead of a scoff or glare, Eddie stared at him lovingly. Richie watched as the man began to cry and turn around to not be seen. ‘Hey, hey no come here.”  
Richie reached for Eddie and brought him into a hug. Richie could feel Eddie begin to shake in his arms. The warm embrace was comforting yet painful at the same time. All these years they lived as adults without knowing who each other were.

“I’m married, Rich. I married my mother and I can’t look into a mirror cause I’m disgusted with my choices. I should have come with you to California. I wouldn’t have forgotten, you wouldn’t have forgotten. I..” Eddie began to sob and Richie held him tighter in response. He felt the pain of years of feeling incomplete without Eddie. Richie lived his life without knowing why he had an empty place in his heart. He tried to date countless men and woman to see if that was the issue. He didn’t realize until Eddie walked into that restaurant that Richie’s problem was that he gave his heart away to a boy who he didn’t even know existed for almost thirty years. 

“It’s okay, I’m here for you now and once we defeat this thing you can come back with me.” Eddie looked up at Richie with hope in his eyes. Richie felt his heart melt knowing that after all these years nothing has changed. 

“You promise?” 

“I promise. Plus, I got a guy who is great with divorces. I haven’t needed his services before but we can get this Sonya twin out of your life. Unless she wants me instead then it will be even easier.” Eddie lightly hit him on the chest holding back a smile.

“I can’t believe you are my first love.” Richie smiled and placed his hand on Eddie’s check. 

“Believe it babe, I’m going to be your last too.” Richie felt nervous as he looked down at Eddie’s lips. He didn’t know if Eddie wanted Richie to kiss him. Yet, Richie could see Eddie inching closer to Richie’s face. It was like their first kiss all those years ago, both unsure but sick of not knowing. As Richie began to close his eyes a loud ringing broke his trance.

“What the fuck?” Richie opened his eyes to see he was not in Derry and he was not in his forties. He leaned up and was welcome to the walls of his apartment. Richie groaned rubbing his eyes. He never had a dream like that before. While he would have nightmares of his childhood it was never anything more than that. There usually was no faces of his friends. He would dream of a memory that may have happened but they were too blurry to really know for sure. However, Eddie was clear as day. Richie held back the feeling of sorrow that followed when it came to memories of Eddie. He loved that man and would never stop. 

Richie looked down at his phone as it began to ring. Mike’s name was displayed and Richie did not hesitate and grabbed his laptop to confirm his flight. Emily was in Derry. His dream made him almost forget about how worried he had been for the last few days. He picked up the phone and wasted no time with hellos.

“I already booked my flight.” He heard the laugh of his old friend making him almost believe that Mike had good news about Emily.

“Well, hello to you too.”

“What’s going on is she safe?” Richie began to pace the bedroom not being able to sit still. It was an issue he grew up with which got him in trouble as a kid. Always moving never stopping.

“Yes, but…”

“Why is there a but Mike?”

“She is becoming more determined to find Eddie. She won't listen to reason. I think you should…”

“Be there? I am flying in today that's no problem.” Richie grabbed a bag from his closet and began to throw clothes in it with haste. 

“I was gunna say call her and talk to her. I think she needs you.” Richie stopped for a moment to let what Mike said sink in. She needs me? What if I mess up again? What if I push her away more? It was my fault to begin with. If I would have been honest from the beginning none of this would happen. “Richie?”

“Yeah, sorry there Mikey. Yeah, I’ll talk to her when I get there. Have a good old daddy daughter talk like we always have.” Richie knew he wasn’t convincing over the phone. He had a good relationship with Emily but it was rare for them to talk about their feelings. They usually had fun and if Emily was ever mad at him he would make it up in some way but never really a conversation.

“There is also another thing.”

“Oh come on Mike you’re killing me.” Richie began to gather his things across the apartment with his phone in one hand and the other grabbing what he needed.

“Lucas and the rest of them agreed in seeing the same thing. It wasn’t a memory that we all had it was something new. The went to the well.” Richie stopped in the bathroom holding his toothbrush. 

“What do you mean new? That fucker was killed almost twenty years ago.” Richie felt his stomach turn at the idea that Emily may be in trouble. 

“They said they saw a hand, well what looked like a hand come from the well. It called out to Emily. Called her Weezy and to come see…”

“No need to say more I will get on the fastest flight and take her home.” Richie felt panicked now. He was throwing anything he could find into the bag. There were a million things he needed to prepare before leaving but they all could wait. Could that monster be alive? Hell no. It hadn’t even been twenty-seven years. 

“Bill called, I thought I would never hear his voice again. He is coming as well.” Mike may have been worried about the kids but he couldn’t help the warmth that grew in his chest knowing he would see his old friends again. Richie knew cause he felt the same way.

“I’ll call you when I land and I’ll get a rental car.” Richie felt an intense wave of deja vu as the words left his mouth. Here he was, doing the same thing that he did almost twenty years ago. If this happens again he will be too old to walk. Mike and Richie said their goodbyes and Richie made his way to the airport. His mind wouldn’t stop thinking about Emily and if he would make it in time. There was no way he was going to lose someone he loved again.

“Oh fuck.” Ethan looked down at his phone in shock. He was reading the texts that he ignored the last few days. His parents were furious as they came to the conclusion that he and Emily were not touring colleges. There were a lot of empty threats and also desperation. He knew they didn’t want him to find out this way. They probably didn’t want Ethan to find out about Derry at all. 

“What’s wrong?” Stacey looked at Ethan concerned, hoping he was contacting Emily. 

“My dad is coming.” Ethan put the phone back in his pocket. His hands were beginning to sweat and he would have dropped his phone if he wasn’t careful. He wondered how he would talk to his father about Ethan’s dead uncle that was dragged into the sewer. Ethan thought of Georgie, whose face was only an illusion to lure his father into the monster’s grasps. If It would have succeeded, Ethan would not be here, none of them would. 

“Maybe he can help convince Emily not to go into the sewers. Your dad was the strongest one after all.” Harry did not know much about Bill other than what he had witnessed in Derry. He also knew that his mother’s first love was that boy so he must be special. 

“He won’t get here in time. We have to stop her ourselves.” Lucas looked ashamed of himself. He felt guilty that he showed these memories to his new friends. If he would not have suggested cutting their hands Emily may not have thought of going down there. However, in all the years that he has seen those memories, the well was not one for them. That monster called to Emily being fully aware of the year and who was in Derry. IT was not alive yet it lingered as if the ghost never passed over to the other realm. IT may want one last kill. Lucas shivered at the thought of Emily being killed due to his actions.

“Maybe we can watch her? To make sure she doesn’t leave the house.” Stacey patted Lucas’s arm lightly, seeing the anguish on his face. 

“We better hurry then, She probably is already there by now.” Ethan encouraged the others to quicken their pace as they reached the house. He quickly said hello to his grandmother before heading upstairs. He turned the knob to Emily’s and opened the door to find her packing her bags. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to find another place to stay since you guys don’t want to help me.” Emily did not bother to turn around and look at Ethan for she was occupied with putting her clothes away. 

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Ethan reached out to grab her bag. Emily quickly pulled the bag to her chest and glared up at Ethan.

“Frankly, I don’t care what you think. I’m leaving.” Emily tried to move around Ethan but he blocked the doorway in response. She let out a frustrated sigh before pushing the taller teen hoping to get him out of the way. The rest of the group arrived shortly after making Emily give up on her task. She locked eyes with Stacey and immediately looked away, still hurt from Stacey’s words earlier. 

“Emily please listen to us. You can’t go down there. Nothing is going to be there.” Harry pleaded with Emily, not wanting to see his friend go through this. 

“You all saw what happened at the well it wasn’t just me.” Emily looked at everyone who wouldn’t make eye contact with her. They all knew that IT had said and why Emily would want to pursue it. However, unlike Emily, they knew there was no way he would be down there after so many years.

“Let's just take a deep breath. All of us.” Lucas looked at everyone to make sure they were all calm before continuing. “We all have witnessed some pretty intense memories today. I say we sleep on it and talk about this in the morning. Does that sound good?” Everyone either vocally agreed or nodded. Emily was the last to answer. “Emily?” 

“Fine.”

“Kids, its time for dinner.” Ethan’s grandmother called from the living room and the teens began leaving the room. The dinner was filled with polite conversation and lies of how they have been spending their time in Derry. Ethan glanced at Emily throughout the night who only looked at her food. Her eyes were glossed over as if she was not really in the room. He could tell she was trying to understand what everything meant. Possibly thinking of her father and her real father. After Harry and Lucas left for the night, the rest of the teens retired to their bedrooms. Ethan did his best to sleep but he missed the feeling of Emily’s warm body next to his. He tried to sleep for one more hour before opening the door to see if Emily was sleeping. The light peaked through the bottom of the door letting him know he wasn’t the only one have trouble sleeping. Ethan quietly approached the door and knocked lightly. After a few moments, the door opened slightly and Ethan could see Emily through the narrow opening.

“Hi.” He whispered making sure no one else would hear him. He felt embarrassed that he wanted to see her so badly. He only knew the girl for a week and a half but just being next to her was comforting. Especially after he saw Georgie being dragged away. His uncle looked so much like his dead uncle. It made him want to hold his brother and be grateful that he still has him. Of course, he didn’t tell anyone, afraid they would think he was crazy. Yet, Emily didn’t ask questions she just held him. She didn’t judge him, he should have done the same. 

“Hi.” She slowly opened the door motioning with he hand for him to come inside. He quickly nodded before walking in and quietly closing the door.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t sleep and I wanted to see if you were okay.” Ethan looked as Emily rubbed her eyes. She looked exhausted not just physically but emotionally. Her eyes were swollen and her cheeks were red. It was obvious that she had been crying earlier. It made Ethan feel even worse about letting Stacey talk to Emily like that earlier in the day. He should have defended her or at least made sure she was okay.

“It’s okay, I’m okay.” She paused before looking up at Ethan. “Actually I’m not okay. Not in the slightest.” Emily laughed awkwardly and sat on the bed hoping to regain some composure. Ethan sat next to her hoping even though he didn’t know exactly how to. “You guys look at me as if I am crazy… maybe I am.” Ethan felt his throat growing dry as he felt the guilt rise in his stomach. He didn’t know what to say other than the obvious response.

“You are not crazy. No one thinks that.” Emily turned to him with disbelief in her eyes. “I don’t think that. We all have seen what you have there is no denying that.” The room grew silent making Ethan feel more anxious than before. He was supposed to be helping but instead, he was only adding fuel to the fire. Emily let out a deep sigh, haunting Ethan’s thoughts.

“I’m not mad at you or anybody, I was just really frustrated at the time. What Stacey said was right. Its just a hard pill to swallow.” Emily took Ethan’s hand in her’s and squeezed. The feeling put Ethan’s nerves at ease for a moment before remembering what he really wanted to say. 

“Emily, I have been meaning to tell you…” A loud yawn escaped Emily’s mouth. She brought her hand up to cover it but her reflexes were slow. He could see that maybe this wasn’t the best time for a confession.

“I’m sorry Ethan, could we talk about it more in the morning?” Emily began to pull the covers off the bed so she fit comfortably under them. She lightly patted the space next to her making Ethan’s heart sink.

“No problem.” He felt his stomach turn as he got under the covers with her. It was a feeling that became a norm when it came to Emily. However, he would have to wait until tomorrow to gain the courage again to talk to her. As they shifted into a comfortable position, Ethan remembered something else he forgot to tell her, something more important than his growing feelings.

“Also, my dad is coming down. He finally realized we weren’t looking at colleges.” Ethan let out a small laugh. He couldn’t see Emily’s face since she was facing away from him on the bed but he could feel her stiffen at his words. “He also said that your dad was coming as well, I thought you should know in case you didn’t know already. Emily stayed still showing no indication that she even heard him. After a few long moments of silence, Ethan accepted that she may already be sleeping. He began to doze off letting his head sink into the pillow. However, Emily was wide awake, trying to steady her breathing so she wouldn’t have an asthma attack. Her phone has been turned off since the last time she tried to message her father. She hadn’t even texted Kelly. Her eyes grew wide at the realization that she would be confronted with her actions. The image of Richie yelling and glaring down at her wouldn’t go away. He would say she was a terrible daughter that she didn’t love him or maybe that he wished he would have left her with her so called mother. Emily did her best to seem like she was sleeping and for the next few hours, she held back tears thinking of all the scenarios that could transpire when she saw her father. None of them were positive and lead her to quietly get up from the bed and begin to pack a small bag of essentials. She knew it was now or never. The doubt that she wrestled with before in her mind was gone. After gathering her things she looked at the clock. It was five in the morning. She quietly walked towards the bedroom door and took one last look at Ethan. He looked calm and peacefully. His arm seemed to reach out for something which made Emily’s heart beat quicken. However, his arm stopped where her body should have been. Emily knew that he would be mad knowing she was gone when he woke up. Yet, she knew what needed to be done and if she had to lose Ethan in the process, then so be it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to post a chapter before I post the rest at once. How did you guys like it? Please give feedback it makes it harder to continue without it. Thank you : )


	10. Turn Around

The walk seemed like hours as Emily struggled with her thoughts. She doubted her decision to go into the sewer alone. Stacey’s words from the day before continued on a loop as she approached the downslope to the entrance. In any other situation, she should turn back knowing there was no logic in her decision. It was as if a cloud was hovering over her judgment making her ignore those who were only trying to help her. The sewer had an invisible pull that kept Emily in its grasp. No matter how much she doubted herself, she began walking across the stream. There was broken wood around the entrance of the sewer. It seemed at one point it was blocked off only letting some derby flow down the stream. The entrance looked like a giant pipe that Emily could only relate to video games her father had shown her in the past.

The thought of her father made her cringe. The feeling of guilt quickly consumed her making her reach for her inhaler for comfort. She couldn’t face him until she saw with her own eyes what was beckoning her into the sewer. She also knew the fear of upsetting her father is what really pushed her to make this decision. She could imagine the look of disgust he would give her from leaving him without warning. She felt hopeless and knew she had nothing to lose. The stench of the sewer began to creep into her senses making her cover her nose with the top of her shirt. She let out a deep sigh before rummaging through her backpack for a light. The only sound that could be heard was the dripping of water. She fumbled with the switch of the flashlight before finally getting the light to shine into the sewer. A part of her expected to see a monster ready to tear her apart. Long slender arms ready to pull her into the sewer. She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding once she saw that nothing was there. However, the atmosphere began to shift slightly. She was not with her friends anymore, she was alone. No one to hold her hand and tell her it was alright. Emily looked back towards the stream where the light was abundant and her friends were only a short walk away. She almost turned around all together but knew that she was not ready to meet the consequences of her actions. She was being a coward and in doing so she had to do this alone. Emily took her first step into the entrance doing her best to not soak her shoes in the contaminated water. As she continued farther into the sewer the presence that had lured her there was preparing to make itself known.

Richie stared at the wheel of his rental car. Parked in front of the old Denbrough house. The memories had been flooding in as he drove down the highway to Derry. They were all mostly fond memories of his childhood with his friends. It made his heart ache that he had forgotten them twice before. However, now he felt the anxiety of meeting Emily surface. It stopped him from leaving the car. He needed to be a parent and tell her that what she did was wrong on so many levels. Did she need to be grounded for a month, maybe a year? He really didn’t know what was the best kind of punishment for a kid who runs away to the other side of the country to find her real dad. What Richie really wanted to do was hug her and kiss her letting her know that he loved her and was terrified that she was hurt. He was thankful that they were able to stop her before she did anything that would make him truly terrified for her safety. There was movement from the corner of his eye that almost made him jump in his seat. He looked to his right to see Bill Denbrough waving at him through the passenger side window. Emotions began to rise in Richie’s chest as he quickly got out of the car and ran over to greet Bill. They shared a long hug both holding back tears. It had been so long since he remembered that beautiful face.

“Bill Fucking Denbrough. Look at you. Still looking like a ladykiller.” Bill laughed at Richie’s greeting and Richie joined him.

“Long time no see Trashmouth.” Bill smiled down at Richie he had always been the tallest one in the group and the bravest. Only one of the countless reasons he was what kept the group together. Richie put his hands on Bill’s shoulders and turned serious for a moment.

“I want to thank you for taking care of my Emily. I was worried you would not know who I was.” Richie chuckled awkwardly breaking the serious tone he had once before.

“Of course Rich. I'm going to be honest, I was a bit confused at first but I have the book like you do so it didn’t take long.” Both men nodded letting silence fall between them. Bill frowned not looking at Richie’s eyes. “However, I can't say I have done a good job about keeping track of her. I should have know Ethan would be as curious with how Audra and I act during the night terrors.”

“You still have those as well?” Richie looked at the taller man with sad eyes knowing that probably all of their friends are still dealing with the memories of their past. Even though they can’t remember where they came from or what they are there is still a fear that creeps into their minds and makes them protective of their children. Another silence grew between them and Richie quickly changes the subject. “Have you heard from Mike?”   
“The last time I talked with him was before my flight here. Most of the kids are staying with my parents. Even Stacey.”

“Stan’s Stacey?” Richie was shocked to know that Stacey joined them to Derry. He had never met her but knew of her through a Christmas card that Patty sent him and all of Stan’s friends. Mike had reached out to her again after Stan had not come to Derry to help defeat IT the second time. That was when Mike had to break the news to the other Losers that Stan had killed himself. Mike informed Patty of the childhood of Stan that she had never learned about. He did not mention the supernatural occurrences and made sure that she knew he had friends that loved him. From then on she would send Christmas cards of her and Stacey to the others every year. The first time he saw the card he had to leave the room and cried at seeing Stacey who looked so much like Stan. They had the same eyes and posture that anyone that remembered Stan knew was his. He had to leave Emily by herself as he remembered Stan and the pain he went through. She was five at the time and was not accustomed to her father’s frequent departures. She cried from behind the door asking for him to open it making it that much harder for Richie to bear. Richie kept the Christmas cards in his office, many were unopened so he could spare the pain he would feel when he opened them. 

“I hear Ben and Bev’s kid is also here. Harry. He has his mother’s red hair but that soft side of Ben.” Bill’s smile seemed more sad than happy. All these kids had come to see the past that their parents never told them about. It felt like a tradition that should never have been handed down to their kids, coming back to Derry to witness the moments that tainted their parents for rest of their lives. Even if they couldn’t remember, it affected them in the small ways that kept Richie up for nights on end. Having an eerie feeling that something was important but not ever being able to figure out what it is.

“This is like some big family reunion.” Richie looked around the neighborhood feeling the nostalgia of childhood kick in. “I guess we will have a lot of explaining to do when we see them.” Bill nodded before turning around to see Mike walked towards the house. Both men waved to Mike and met him at the front steps. They exchanged hugs and greeting similar to the ones they just had with each other. Mike looked tired most likely from worrying about the kids. Mike began to talk about how each kid was remarkable and so much like their parents. The conversation almost made them forget about the issues at hand. The door to the house opened revealing Ethan on the other side. He looked scared and out of breath most likely from running down the stairs. He locked eyes with his father before looking at Richie. Ethan looked even more panicked realizing that Richie was there with him. He finally spoke, the words almost getting stuck in his throat. 

“She’s gone.”  
Emily found it hard to breathe. The smell was growing thick as she continued deeper into the tunnel. She didn’t know exactly what she was looking for. The routes seemed to follow similar paths. Many lead to dead ends which grew frustrating as she continued to find them. She wanted to scream as she turned away from another dead end. She was going to come back out smelling like piss to everyone telling her I told you so. She felt stupid and shameful of her decision. She just wanted to be home and away from the situation. Emily wanted to go back to California and pretend that the trip to Derry never happened. Emily looked at her phone to see that there was no service. It made sense but she wished she could call Kelly and vent about all the mistakes she made and the friends she made and lost that week. She missed her best friend and hoped Kelly would not be mad that Emily failed to contact her much that week. As Emily began to put back her phone she saw movement on the left. She jumped almost letting out a scream. She moved her flashlight to where the sound came from. The light bounced off the walls until it landed on the back of a man. He was facing away from her and the image of him made her skin crawl. At first, she thought he may be homeless but disregarded that idea when she saw the man’s clothes. He was wearing a tucked in shirt with a large suit jacket over it. It seemed to be too big for him but it still looked nice on his figure. He wore dress pants and pointed black shoes. His hair was a rich brown similar to the color of Emily’s.

“Hello.” Her voice echoed throughout the sewer and the man did not move. The silence swallowed her voice and she waited to see if the man would respond. Moments passed before Emily decided to take a step forward. Her mind was thinking of all the ways she should react, how she would escape if needed. If he lunged for her she would have to find something that she could use as a weapon. Her eyes landed on a pipe that was almost submerged in the water. She inched closer to the pipe cautiously. However, the man began to move away from her and turned right into another tunnel. Emily tried to fight the urge to follow him. She should run and find someone to help instead of following the man. Yet, her feet began to move towards him as if she had no choice in the matter. He walked fast enough to be seen but not slow enough to be approached. Emily tried to get the man to talk but he continued to walk ahead of her. The only sound was the splashing of water as both their feet tread through the water. 

The many lectures about stranger danger went through Emily’s mind as she followed the man as he turned left. She tried to see his face but did not want to shine the light there. Even though she was curious about the man she was also fearful of him. If she shined the light on his face he may react in a way that would not be good for Emily. He was a small man, only a few inches taller than her. He looked like he wouldn’t have the strength to take a person down. If her father was here he would be able to handle the man. However, Emily was small herself so the idea of having to fight off this man terrified her. The feeling of being pulled to follow this man continued as they walked deeper and deeper into the sewer. The air began to grow heavy and she felt her breathing become long and ragged. The man, on the other hand, seemed to breathe like nothing was different. She couldn’t tell if he was breathing at all. It alarmed her for a second almost making her stop her stride but she continued to follow the man.   
She wondered if he lived down here or maybe he liked to explore the sewers that had so much history. The more he stayed quite the scarier he became. 

A familiar tune began to echo throughout the tunnel. She couldn’t pinpoint what the tune reminded her so much of. It seemed fun, it played on a continuous loop making the environment uneasy. The tune slowly grew louder as they continued deeper into the sewer. Maybe there was a room somewhere where the music was being played. Emily touched the inhaler in her pocket trying to calm her nerves. They turned another corner and continued down a long stretch before he finally stopped. Emily stopped a few feet from the man. That was when she realized what the music reminded her of, a carnival. She had never been to one personally but knew a lot of people that had. The music she heard was in many movies and tv shows. She found comfort in the sound like it was a sign of reality rather than obscurity. Richie was not a big fan of them. He explained how carnivals freaked him out, especially clowns. 

The man stood still for what felt like minutes before moving forward a few steps. Emily’s legs moved forward in response. She needed to keep her distance yet her body was not responding to the warning signs flashing in her brain. A quiet sound was heard under the music. Emily squinted her eyes as she tried to focus on the sound even though the carnival music was louder. 

“turn around.” The word came from the voice of a child. Emily looked behind her and no one was there. The only person who was around was the man she had been following. 

“Turn around, turn around, turn around, turn around, turn around” The word echoed throughout the sewer becoming louder than the music. The man moved once more which made Emily move another step. He slowly began to turn around. Emily felt her heartbeat increasing as he slowly showed his face. Her eyes grew wide at seeing Eddie Kasbrak for the first time. He looked like an older version of the photo she had seen days ago. He smiled at her which made her heart soar. He looked calm and collected. She had so many questions to ask him. Why was he down here? What happened all those years ago. She was so mesmerized by the man before her she did not pay attention to the words growing louder and louder around her. She slowly reached a hand out for him. She wanted to touch him, to see if he was real. She wanted to hug him and cry in his arms and tell him how much Richie missed him and that she wanted them both in her life. She moved closer failing to notice how his body was hovering over the cliff that lead to a steep fall. 

“Turn around, turn around, turn around, TURN AROUND, TURN AROUND.” Just as she was about to touch him his face morphed into a horrifying sight. His smile stretched almost to his ears and he looked at Emily with hunger in his eyes. Emily froze in place as she watched the man change in an instant. 

“TURN AROUND,” Eddie screamed the words in her face and she shuddered. She felt a strong presence behind her and wanted to stop her body from turning. The curiosity and hope that kept her going were gone and replaced with a fear that she had never felt before. She felt her body tremble at the thought of what could be behind her. Once her body finally turned she felt fear pour in every part of her body. The creature before her was something she could never imagine by herself. The pale arm that she had seen in the well was connected to a man like creature. The creature was wearing a silver clown suit with blood red balls leading up to the creatures face. Its yellow eyes were haunting making Emily feel that it was the end of the line. It’s mouth opened to let drool drip from its lips. Its teeth were jagged ready to tear her body in two. IT reached for her and caused her to step back to escape IT’s advance. Emily felt her feet begin to slip and let out a scream that continued until her body met the ground with an echoing crack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment on how you liked this chapter. More coming soon : )


	11. Clearing The Smoke

“What do you mean she is gone?” Richie didn’t mean to yell at this kid. He looked just as scared as Richie felt. Yet, here he was in this kid’s who had taken Emily to Derry from New York. 

“I don’t know. I woke up and she was gone from the bed.” 

“You were in the same bed?” Richie wanted to know why this little shit was sharing the same bed with his seventeen-year-old daughter. Ethan looked panicked as he tried to get help from his father who was only shaking his dead in disproval. 

“No, no no no it is not like that I swear. We have been getting nightmares from…” Ethan hesitated not wanting to make the situation any worse. “from the memories.” Richie moved away from the teen focusing back on Emily. He wondered what memories she witnessed while in Derry. She must have seen the horrors of what took place that summer years ago. 

“Her phone went straight to voicemail.” Stacey appeared on the front door holding her phone in worry. Richie’s eyes widened at seeing Stacey in person for the first time. She really looked like Stan. He held his breath focusing on not breaking out into tears in front of them. He could imagine Stan’s face clearly in his mind, something he would not be able to do if he was back in California. Bill noticed the shock in Richie’s eyes and cleared his throat.

“Stacey this is Richie Tozier, Emily’s dad.” Stacey smiled and shook Richie’s hand. He nodded in response. 

“Nice to meet you. I’m sorry it had to be under these circumstances.” Stacey’s smile fell as she looked back at her phone. Richie noticed how she looked guilty as if Emily being gone was her doing. Soon after Lucas and Harry joined them, they all sat in the living room. Seeing Bill’s parents made Richie feel even more nostalgic about his childhood. Having lunches at the Denbrough house and racing bikes down the street. While they always seemed detached from Bill especially after Georgie’s death, they were still nice to the kids. It was strange seeing everyone and seeing the new faces of those who came after them. Harry had Beverly’s locks just like Bill said. He also had the sweet quiet personality of Ben that they all loved. These kids grew up knowing nothing of their parents' childhoods and were determined to learn more. He should have opened up more to Emily, even though his memory of those times were hazy. 

“When did you guys start seeing our memories?” Bill looked at Ethan worried at how Ethan seemed to be lost in his mind. He stared at the mug on the coffee table with a dazed look in his eye. Instead of getting the answer from Ethan Mike spoke up.

“Every year around this time the memories of that summer show up. Lucas, unfortunately, has seen them since a young age. IT is gone but it seems that It’s influence on the town is not. That is why you guys forget every time you leave Derry.” Mike let out a sigh and began to rub his hands. Richie felt guilty for leaving Mike so many times. Mike decided to stay in Derry where he could never forget the horrors of their past and the friends that left him behind. 

“However, we saw something that had never happened before yesterday.” Lucas took in a deep breath as he traced the small cut on his hand. “We saw a hand with an inhaler come out of the well. It was calling Emily… I think it was trying to lure her to IT.” Richie’s stomach dropped as he listened to Lucas. The thought of IT trying to take Emily made his blood boil. He wanted the thing gone for good that is why he came back the second time. 

“Are you saying IT is still a threat?” Bill looked at Mike sternly. He like Richie was worried about the kids' safety and was willing to do anything to make sure they would be protected. 

“We don’t think it could physically hurt her but It may manipulate her into…”

“Into what?” Richie almost yelled back at Mike and grasped the chair arm tightly. He knew it wasn’t Mike’s fault it was Richie's and it made him even more anxious to find her.

“Into going somewhere where she could get into danger.” Mike looked down at the table ashamed that he didn’t take more precaution with the teens. If he would have been more careful Emily would not have left. He should have just told her the truth.

“Does she know about Eddie?” Richie felt panicked and wished he wouldn’t have kicked his old smoking habit. He needed a smoke.

“She does but I don’t think that's stopping her.” Ethan talked for the first time since they sat down he still did not look at anyone but seemed to be involved in the conversation now.

“So how should we go about this? Do we get in groups and search for her?” Stacey looked around the group hoping anyone could add to her suggestion

“No, there is only one place she would have gone.” Lucas looked at Ethan who looked back at him. They both knew exactly where she would have gone to. 

“The sewer.”

The intense pain flowing through her right side is what finally made her come to. She held back a scream as she began to try a move her body. She slowly moved her legs trying to gain strength. She opened her eyes to the same sewer she had walked into. She had landed on her side breaking her arm in the process. The pain seemed to pulse at the beat of her heartbeat. She felt tears fall from her eyes as she slowly sat up into a sitting position. She carefully cradled her arm. Emily looked around the new area. It looked as if it could be the center of the sewer. In the middle of the room was a small drop that pushed the sewage down another direction. There was a giant door across from her. She couldn’t pull her eyes away from the door as it loomed over her. It looked like what banks used for large amounts of money. The door handle was rusted from water damage and looked as if it had been used before.

A surge of pain broke her eyes from the door. The bone slightly stuck out of her arm making Emily panic. Her breathing became heavy as she looked around frantically for her inhaler. She did her best not to strain her broken arm as blood oozed from the wound. Her inhaler must have been thrown across the sewer when she fell. Emily looked around the room until she saw it in the center of the room. It was teetering on the edge of the drop. Emily tried to calm her breathing as she counted back from ten.

“10…9, 8..” As Emily began to count down the realization of what happened made her pause. She had been tricked and lead down here. The image of Eddie Kaspbrak with a twisted smile flashed across her mind. She shivered at the thought. That monster had led her here. Was it going to kill her? Mike said that they destroyed it here years ago. He said they watched as life left the body of the monster. Down here there was nothing but sewage. She couldn’t believe how stupid she had been. Why did she follow a man deeper into a sewer that she had never been in before? She didn’t even know how far she walked. It was like a switched went off making her realize all the reckless decisions she made. Why would her father be down here? 

“Stupid, stupid.” Emily began to cry as she looked around the sewer. She hated herself for not trusting in her friends. She hated herself for leaving Richie behind. She hated herself for actually believing there was hope. Once she finally got herself together she focused on getting her inhaler. She began to think of possible ways she could go about it without hurting her arm more. She decided she would scoot herself towards the inhaler since her clothes were already ruined from the fall. As she prepared to push herself off the wall a large bang caused her to stop. The sound made her heart race given the fact that she did not know where it came from.   
Another sound followed as miscellaneous items such as pipes and boxes began to move around the room. She looked around frantically trying to find the source of the noise. The items were being pushed around by something that she couldn’t see. One of the old pipes slowly rose from the floor. Emily watched it cautiously not knowing what to do. It stayed in the air long enough for Emily to begin to let out a breath. However, she couldn’t fully release the tension for the pipe began to come towards her. Emily didn’t have time to think and ducked by landing on her broken arm. She held back a scream as the pipe hit the wall. The sound echoed throughout the sewer.

A few more things began to be thrown at her. She did her best to dodge them but another pipe hit her in the leg making it vibrate in pain. She gritted her teeth and tried to massage the area that was hit. An eerie laugh slowly gained volume. Emily felt her heartbeat begin to quicken as the laugh grew louder and louder. She still couldn't see the source of the laughter but knew it was close by. She tried her best to calm her breathing but her chest felt too tight. She knew she would need her inhaler to be able to calm down or her asthma attack would worsen. She decided to slowly inch closer to the center of the room. Even if she was hit by something she still needed to move so that way she could reach her inhaler.

“Wheezy, wheezy, wheezy, wheezy.” The voice began to mock her between the laughs. By the sound of its voice, it seemed excited and having the time of it's life watching Emily struggle to reach her inhaler. Emily ignored the nickname and continued to push herself towards the center of the room. The leg that had been hit by the pipe seemed numb as if it has fallen asleep and only movement could wake it. She put most of the pressure in her legs to move since her arm was busy holding the broken one. 

“WHEEZY, WHEEZY, WHEEZY.” Now the voice was yelling at her making her shudder from the power of its voice. She did her best to focus on the task in front of her as things continued to be thrown around the room. Once she was in reach she stopped cradling her broken arm slowly and reached for the inhaler. She narrowly missed a flying box as she reached out for the item. Her fingertips grazed the inhaler. She felt a sense of hope for the first time since she landed in this part of the sewer. Her joy was short lived for she felt her body being dragged away. She let out a scream of frustration and looked back to see what had ruined her plan. Her eyes grew wide seeing that nothing was there. She turned and held her broken arm trying to protect herself from being dragged across the floor. Suddenly she was being pushed to the wall. Her back hit the concrete making her whole body vibrate from pain. She opened her eyes to see the clown that had scared her into falling before. It was smiling at her from the center of the room. It’s foot stood dangerously close to her inhaler. The clown looked at her then the inhaler. It laughed as it mocked kicking the item in the water. She thought of calling out to stop it but knew that would only make the clown more excited. IT counted it’s little game until finally, it’s smile dropped. Its eyes were haunting. Emily couldn’t process the kind of emotion those eyes were expressing. It looked at Emily one more time before kicking the inhaler in the water where the current took it away. Emily felt new tears begin to fall as she came to the realization that she may never see Richie and her friends again.

 

“She had to come through here. This is the only entrance that is not boarded up. Mike lead the group into the sewer feeling the familiar uncomfort that he had felt going through these sewers years ago. The rest of the parents could feel it too but tried to stay strong for the teens. Stacey held onto Lucas’s arm and Harry followed behind them. Ethan however, was up in the front near Mike trying to look down every pathway they passed for any clue that Emily may have left.  
“How are we going to know where to go?” Stacey looked around the tunnels in disgust as she did her best not to fall into the sewage water. It was hard to imagine anything living in a sewer like this regardless if it was human or not. As they continued deeper in the sewer no one seemed to have an answer for Stacey. Richie had a hard time staying still as he grew more nervous about Emily. Suddenly Mike stopped making the group stop behind him. He paused at a fork in the road. Where he knew one was a dead end and the other lead to the door that they had all closed almost twenty years ago.

“Bill, do you remember where we battled IT for the last time?” Mike turned to Bill who only nodded in understanding. Mike shined his light on one of the tunnels. “This way.” No one argued as they followed Mike hoping that Emily was still alive. 

Emily didn’t realize that she had passed out until she woke up. Her face was covered in dirt and she did her best to wipe it off. Her body was still tense from the fall and her failed attempt of reaching for her inhaler. It took her a moment for the room around her to become clear. She could make out figures. Four, maybe five? She couldn’t tell. She could hear voices, human voices. Was someone here to save her? Emily had a hard time concentrating due to her lack of breathing. She was surprised her body was able to sustain even the little energy she had left. Emily was slumped against the wall watching the people in front of her. Her vision began to improve as she saw three men and a woman. The woman was crying and frantically trying to help the man in her arms. He had only one arm and blushed gushed out of the wound. 

 

“—eds oh my god bill ben someone he’s lost his arm, his—“ Emily recognized the nickname right away. Her heart sank looking at the scene in front of her. This was the memory of Eddie’s last moments. She noticed Richie kneel down towards him. Richie looked scared as he watched his best friend die before him. 

“Richie.” Eddie’s voice was weak. He seemed to be struggling to stay conscious.

“What?” 

“Don’t call me Eds,” Emily watched as Eddie reached for Richie’s cheek. He seemed happy even in his last moments. He was accepting his fate, happy to be around his friends. Emily felt her own tears fall and she watched both men looking at each other, desperate to make the moment last.

“You know I… I…” Emily watched as Eddie closed his eyes and never opened them again. The memory in front of her changed quickly. She closed her eyes for a moment taking everything in. Her head was pounding trying to not pass out again. She tried to stay strong but she succumbed to the grief of Eddie’s death. She wished things could have been different she wishes she could have met him at least once. 

She opened her eyes to see the group altogether. They looked exhausted making it known to Emily that they must have defeated IT by now. On the floor was Eddie’s body. It seemed they agreed to leave it there and the thought made Emily angry. How could they just leave him? How could Richie leave him? She watched as Richie kissed Eddie on the cheek before being motioned by his friends to leave. Eddie’s body was behind the door that she noticed when Emily woke up the first time. Richie turned around and kicked the door close.

“Fuck you, Bitch!. The sound of the door closing echoed throughout the sewer and left a defying silence in its wake. 

“Why’d you do that?” The woman looked at Richie curiously not understanding the full meaning behind his actions.

“I don’t know.” Emily knew Richie was lying and knew that he had just lost the love of his life. There was no right way to deal with that kind of grief. Emily wished she would have known. All those years of fighting and crying could have never happened. She could have helped her father rather than shutting him out. The memory slowly disappeared making Emily realize her situation again. She needed to get out of here or she would die. She needed to see her father again and apologize to him. To hug him and love him for the rest of her life. 

However, the feeling of a tight grip one her neck halted her thoughts. She looked up to see the clown once more. It’s mouth was smiling letting drool run down its chin. She felt helpless in It’s grasp since she only had one arm to use. The haunting laughter filled her ears and she tried to show that she wasn’t afraid. While It may be a ghost, it wouldn’t be able to do the thing IT wanted the most. IT wouldn't be able to have It’s last meal. Emily felt her concentration begin to slip as the grip tightened on her throat she decided to think of Richie and how thankful she was to call him her father. She wanted her last thought to be of those who loved her, not fear. Before she closed her eyes she could see the clown’s eyes look behind her and began to snarl. Emily couldn’t understand why, she felt the grip loosen but it was too late and she fell to the floor. 

“EMILY.” Richie and the other screamed her name as they finally reached the door to IT’s lair. They all stopped to see her body near the far wall. Ethan wasted no time running to her. She was covered in grime and was bleeding from multiple wounds. He noticed her broken arm right away and was careful in picking her up.

“Please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead,” Ethan muttered to himself looking for any signs that she was breathing. Richie almost tripped over a pipe before reaching Ethan and Emily. Richie placed his fingers at her neck and felt a weak pulse.

“She had an asthma attack we need to take her to the hospital now.” Richie motioned for the others to follow as they made their way out of the sewer. Richie kept looking back at Emily praying to whoever was up there that she would make it through this. 

“Fuck don’t take her away from me too.” 

 

“Emily… Emily… wake up.” Emily slowly opened her eyes. She almost closed them immediately after being exposed to the bright light around her. She had been in a dark sewer for hours. The room she was in was not a room at all. All she could see is white light around her as if she was surrounded by white canvases. Had she died? Would her body be left there like Eddie’s? She looked at her body to see no sign of wounds or a broken arm. 

“No, you’re not dead.” The voice surprised Emily making her move away from the sound. She looked up to see Eddie Kaspbrak also looking healthy with both his arms. Emily’s eyes widened from confusion and began to rub them. She must be dreaming. 

“Are you real?” Emily cursed at herself for starting with such a stupid question. She should have introduced herself or said anything more intelligent than that. Eddie began to laugh before reaching out his hand to her.

“Yes and no. Come on I wanna show you something.” Emily hesitated at first. Her lack of awareness had got her into this mess. She willingly followed a ghost to her death. However, she felt safe and calm around Eddie. Her instinct was to follow him. She slowly took his hand and felt his weight help her off the ground. They began walking in silence. Emily had a million questions for Eddie but didn’t know where to stop. Usually, she would be reaching for her inhaler in these kinds of moments but that urge was not needed in this place. She was perfectly healthy for the first time since before her asthma started showing as a child. Finally, Eddie broke the silence.

“You know, my mother lied to me about my asthma.” Eddie smiled down to the ground while Emily’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Overprotective is a way to describe it lightly. I figured it out when I went to the pharmacist when I was a kid. It changed my whole perception of my mother. I couldn’t talk to her for a while.” 

“Did you hate her?” 

“Not completely she was all I had other than my friends. I thought moving away was the answer but I only ended up marrying someone like her.” Emily frowned at the memory of his wife. She had a hard time accepting that she was Emily’s birth mother. Someone that cruel should never be a mother. “I wish I would have known that you would be born into this world. If that was the case I wouldn’t have….” Eddie paused, almost not getting the next word out. “been so reckless.” Emily held in his hand in response.

“You may have never known and that’s okay. I feel guilty for the problems I have caused everyone over finding you. I knew in my heart that you wouldn't be there but I guess seeing your memories gave me an idea of what kind of person you are or were I guess.” Eddie gave Emily’s hand a squeeze before motioning for them to sit down. Emily felt her legs begin to dangle above the floor. It was as if they were sitting on the edge of a cliff but there was nothing but white. 

“Don’t feel guilty Emily. Your friends and family love you regardless. I know a lot of my friends have put up with my annoying tendencies in the past. Especially Richie.” The silence grew between them. Emily knew Richie may be a sore subject to talk about but she needed to know more.  
“Do you miss him?”

“All the time.” Eddie smiled but it didn’t stop Emily from noticing the tears in his eyes. She wished she could bring them together at least one last time. “I’m glad Richie found you and fought for you. I wouldn't want anyone else to take care of you and help you become the person you are now. You may have gained my stubbornness but you are extremely kind and courageous. I am so proud of you.” Emily tried to hold back her own tears as she listened to Eddie’s words. 

“I wish I could see him again. I feel like I never got to say goodbye. I wish I would have been a better daughter.” Eddie shook his head slowly trying to reassure her that she was being too hard on herself. 

“You will Emily this isn’t goodbye.” Emily looked confused before Eddie pointed to the ground below them. She looked down to see her body and others in the hospital. She was being treated by doctors with an oxygen tank close by. 

“So where am I?” 

“I’m not sure myself. All I know is this is not your time. We will meet again but not for a long time. You still have so much life to live with your friends and Richie.” 

“But the monster…” 

“IT was only a shadow of It’s self, a result of that thing being in Derry for centuries. IT let go of you when I appeared.” Emily remembered the moment before she passed out. The monster looked disgruntled as if his plan were being foiled.

“Will it still be down there?” 

“Not for long. My presence has been slowly chipping away at it’s existence in town.”

“So you're stuck there?” She couldn’t imagine how long Eddie had been down there dealing with that monster every day. 

“I will fully pass on eventually. Don’t worry about me, Emily. I want to protect my friends till the very end. Can you do one thing for me?” Emily nodded feeling admiration for her birth father. “I want you to take it easy on Richie. He has been going through a lot from my death and Stan’s. What he needs is your support and love.” Eddie looked down at the hospital room below them. 

“I promise.” Emily smiled as she looked down at herself. It was a weird feeling seeing her body below. She could see from the small door window a man pacing back and forth. She knew Richie was worried and it was time for her to apologize and face her fears. She needed to stop running away from her problems and start running towards solutions. She felt the world around her shift.

“You are going to wake up soon.” 

“I love you, dad.” Eddie smiled and kissed her forehead. He let his lips linger to treasure the moment they were sharing. Once he pulled away he smiled brightly.

“I love you too. Tell Richie to stop calling you Eds, there can only be one.” They both laughed before Emily felt her eyes begin to drift close. The last thing she heard was the warm laugh of Eddie before coming home.

 

(King, Stephen. It . Google Books, 1986.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave feedback! I used some direct quotes from the book so I included the reference at the end. Thank you : )


	12. Here Comes The Sun

The doctor said she would wake up soon. Richie paced back in forth in front of the hospital entrance. Through the glass doors, he could see everyone waiting. Stacey and Lucas were in deep conversation while Harry read a book beside them. In the corner of the room, Bill was talking to Ethan. Ethan looked confused as if he was trying to understand Bill. Bill looked uncomfortable, Ethan must be asking about the past. He knew he would have to have a similar conversation with Emily when she woke up. He kicked a loose rock and watched it skip on the concrete. Fuck, he wished he had a cigarette. It was hard not to think about Eddie especially after rescuing Emily from the place where he died. The memory was fresh as if it had happened yesterday. The sad but loving look on Eddie’s face before he closed his eyes and took his last breath. 

“Need a smoke?” Richie turned his head quickly to see the familiar red locks and dazzling blue eyes that he loved oh so much. Beverly Marsh stood behind him with a pack of cigarettes in one hand and a lighter in another. 

“Get the fuck out Marsh!” Richie rushed to Beverly and threw his arms around her. He held back the tears of seeing his childhood best friend. Seeing her with the pack of cigarettes reminded him of all the times they skipped class to smoke and laugh at the dumb shit Richie would do at school. She was also the first person he came out to. 

“It’s good to see you Trash mouth.” Beverly smiled at Richie with tears forming in her eyes. 

“Where is Romeo?” Beverly laughed before motioning towards the hospital. 

“He is inside with Harry. Sorry we were late. Harry had a great alibi until Mike called us. I’m sorry about Emily.” Richie shook his head showing her that there was nothing to be sorry for.

“Everything is fine at least until I talk to her. Im praying she doesn’t hate me.” Richie laughed nervously thinking of how he was going to talk to Emily. He wasn’t mad at her for leaving, he may have when he realized it at first. However, now all he wanted to do was hug and kiss her and not hide anything from her. She deserved to know everything. Beverly grabbed Richie’s hand and squeezed it for good measure.

“You are going to do fine Richie. You’re a good father. Eddie would be proud.” Richie couldn’t stop a tear from falling at her words. The memory of Eddie appeared in his mind once more. 

“So let’s have that smoke shall we?” 

Emily woke to the sound of quiet conversation and the beeping of monitors. The room was bright and welcoming compared to where she was just hours ago. She slowly opened her eyes and noticed the table across from her hospital bed. It was filled with flowers and balloons. She did not have much time to admire them because the nurse noticed she was awake. 

“Hello Emily, how are you feeling?” The woman had short brown hair and bright eyes that reminded her of Eddie. She smiled down at Emily from her bed. Emily squinted her eyes before nodding at the woman. It wasn’t the answer she was looking for and caused the doctor to jump in.

“I’m Doctor Lillis, we have been keeping watch over your asthma symptoms the last two days.” Two days? Emily’s eyes widened and began to look around the room for anyone she knew. The doctor could sense her panic and lightly placed his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry your father and friends are in the waiting room. They found you at the right time, any longer and it would have been fatal.” The words although encouraging, hanged over Emily’s head. She suppressed the guilt beginning to grow in her chest. “Would you like to see them?” Emily felt her heart beat quicken knowing that she would finally see Richie again. She coughed before speaking for the first time.

“May I see my father first?” The words came out harder than expected. Her throat was sore as if she was screaming for hours. She knew it was from her throat swelling during her asthma attack. The doctor smiled and motioned for the nurse to get Richie. Emily felt herself becoming nervous as she waited. Her body was tired but her excitement to see her father made her almost forget that she had a broken arm.

Richie slowly walked into the room. He had dark circles under his eyes from not sleeping the last two days. Emily looked at Richie stunned remembering the fear of never seeing him again. She was glad that Eddie was watching over her. Without him, she may have never seen Richie again. Richie stood at the door staring at Emily. He looked a loss for words. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time like when he brought her home as a baby. She was so small at that age, fragile even. Now she looked the same even though so many years have passed. Emily broke the silence as a sob left her mouth.

“I’m so sorry dad.” As she began to cry, her tears were like a bucket of cold water hitting his back, breaking him from his trance. He rushed to her side and gave her a hug so tight that he thought it would break her. She continued to cry mumbling apologizes into Richie’s shoulder. He kissed her on the head before slowly shushing her. 

“You don’t need to apologize. I’m just glad you are here. I’m the one who should be sorry.” Emily pulled away from the hug and looked at Richie confused. She began to shake her head as her eyes landed on her hands. They were roughed up by her time in the sewer. Cuts were treated with bandages which would most likely turn into scars. 

“I’m the one that searched for Eddie. I was the one that convinced Ethan to help me. I was the one who went into the sewer and almost died. I was…” Emily couldn’t look at her father as she felt the shame of her actions weigh down on her. She turned over her hand to see the cut on her palm. The cut they made to find out more about their parent's past. Richie placed his hand in her palm. She looked up and was grateful that his eyes showed compassion, not anger. She feared of his eyes being filled with disappointment and disgust for her actions. She had thought about this moment so much that it was shocking to see that it didn’t play out the way she thought.

“I should have told you about Eddie. Anyone would be curious about their birth parents.” Richie let out a sigh before sitting on the side of the hospital bed. He paused for a moment before continuing. “I never fully recovered after Eddie died. Even though I forgot mostly everything when I went back to California, I would get flashbacks. Something like your inhaler or even as simple as a river. I would suddenly remember everything vividly. All those painful memories would flash by and then they would leave just as fast.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you. I wish I could have understood sooner.” Emily smiled sadly at her father. She could now understand those nights where he went to bed early or went for a walk in the late hours of the night. She would think it was something she had done. 

“No, no no. I wouldn’t let you understand. I honestly didn’t know how to explain it. You wouldn’t have believed me I’m sure.” Richie laughed for the first time since bringing Emily to the hospital. How do you tell your kid that their birth father was killed by a supernatural monster that lived in a sewer? 

“I was worried that you would think if I looked for Eddie that meant I wasn’t happy with you.” Emily took a deep breath trying to hold back fresh tears.

“I would never think that. I understand why you left. I just wish I could have gone with you. I would have made sure you would not have gone into that sewer alone.” The room grew quiet as Richie and Emily found comfort in each other’s company. 

“So this Ethan kid?” Richie smirked down at Emily who did her best to hide the color rising in her cheeks. 

“Dad.” Emily glared at her father hoping he would drop the subject. Richie raised his hands in peace but a mischievous smile still rested on his face.

“I know you don’t like talking about boys with me but I just want to make sure you are being safe. You know con-“

“DAD.” Richie laughed before motioning her to rest. The doctor told him not to get her too riled up in case her asthma kicks up.

“Alright, I’ll stop. Just know if he ever tries something I got that samurai sword I bought at that convention five years ago and I know how to use it. Well, I pretend to.”They both laughed as Emily reached for her father to hit him. He got up and maneuvered away from her reach. “I’ll go get your friends.” Richie began to head to the door until Emily called out his name. 

“Dad, I saw Eddie.” Richie stopped in his tracks facing away from Emily. He held his breath, anticipating for Emily to say more. “He told me to tell you to not call me Eds, that there can only be one.” The room grew silent before Richie let out a laugh. He couldn’t help the tears that stung his eyes. He knew he could turn around and show Emily the emotions he was going through. He didn’t have to hide anything from her anymore. Yet, this moment he wanted to keep for himself. The image of his Eddie Kaspbrak up there waiting for him. It was all he could ask for. 

“Gotta respect his wishes then, I’ll go grab them.” Richie left the room and Emily smiled to herself knowing that her father was happy to know Eddie was watching over them. He wasn’t alone in his grieving, not anymore. 

The group slowly made their way in. Unlike the others, Stacey rushed into the room with tears in her eyes. Emily was about to call her name until she felt Stacey’s arms wrap around her.

“I’m sorry for all those stupid things I said. I just didn’t want you to get hurt seeing that he wasn’t there.” Emily did her best to reassure Stacey that everything was alright. However, Stacey wouldn’t let go and continued to apologize. Lucas had to loosen Stacey’s grip slowly so that she would gain composure. Emily looked up at Stacey who’s eyes were swollen and her hair a mess from crying. Emily never thought she would see her in this kind of state. Stacey always kept herself in perfect condition. Her hair always smooth, clothes pressed and styled. Instead, she was wearing a Derry high school sweatshirt, mostly likely from Lucas. She looked tired like everyone else but also relieved. 

“Hey, I was the one being stupid. Don’t apologize.” Emily squeezed Stacey’s hand which seemed to clam her down. She stepped away to let the others talk to Emily. Lucas and Harry asked if she was okay and if she needed anything. Emily began to tell the story of her time in the sewer and what she saw. The group looked shocked as they heard the news of Emily seeing Eddie’s memories. However, Emily couldn’t help but look at Ethan who was distant from the group. He had made no attempt to come closer, only listening from the other side of the room. 

Emily felt herself getting annoyed by his actions but hid it from the rest of the group. After a few more minutes of talking, Harry brushed Stacey’s shoulder trying to get her attention. The young teen looked at him confused before realizing that it was time to give Ethan some space. Stacey looped her arm around Lucas, waving goodbye and rambling about needing a drink from the vending machine. The three teens left the room leaving Emily and Ethan alone. The room grew silent making Emily even more annoyed.

“Don’t tell me you feel guilty too?” Ethan scoffed before moving closer to the hospital bed. Emily patted the sheets beside her, telling him it was okay for him to sit down. He sat down not facing her at first. He looked to be contemplating something. She thought he may be figuring out the best way to tell her how dumb she was going down there alone.

“You’re a dumbass.” Well, maybe he didn’t have to think too hard.

“Thank you captain obvious but I already know that. If your plan was to just come in here and say how stupid I am then you can leave cause I already have been through…” Ethan’s eyes stopped her words as she realized he wasn’t joking. He wasn’t angry like Emily thought he would be. His eyes were searching her to see if she could understand by just the look that he gave her. It was heartbreaking to see him so vulnerable because of a choice she made. He looked as if he could fall apart at any moment. Emily felt frozen under his gaze. She wanted to say something that would make him laugh or at least smile. He turned away and let out a deep sigh. Emily looked at him nervously, not knowing if she should touch him or not.

“You scared the shit out of me these past few days. When we found you, I didn’t know… I thought you might…” Ethan struggled to finish his sentence so Emily finished it for him.

“Died?” He only nodded in response. His eyes roamed her broken arm sitting in the sling to her bruises on the other. “I’m sorry for making you worry. I had to do this even though I was being a dumbass.” Emily laughed but could tell that she did little to help the mood. “How is your dad, is he really mad? 

“Yes and no. We didn’t get much time to talk about it at first but he has been taking the time now to explain everything. He doesn’t need to really. How can you not have night terrors after having a childhood like that?” Emily nodded understanding where Ethan was coming from. Seeing the memories first hand made it so much easier to understand.

“I’m glad he wasn’t too mad. Richie was very understanding which was a relief.” 

“I want to thank you, for bringing me here.” Ethan smiled placing his hand over her’s. Emily felt the familiar jolt of nerves that made her heart beat faster. She looked surprised but tried to keep calm even though Ethan’s thumb was tracing light circles on the top of her hand. She let out a nervous laugh before covering it up with a cough.

“What do you mean?” Ethan moved closer making the space between them even smaller.

“I mean that you Emily Tozier were the one who took the initiative to get on a plane and find your father. You even went to that witch’s house and stood strong the whole time. Without you, I don’t know if I would have ever known about my father’s past. I’m glad I met you.” Emily did her best to breathe as she looked into his eyes. 

“I’m glad I met you too.” Emily smiled back and noticed Ethan’s confidence shift. He looked nervous all of a sudden. The mood in the room changed but Ethan did not move his hand from hers. 

“Uh... I was going to tell you this before but I didn’t get a chance since you left. I know we haven’t known each other long… also the whole you being in California and me being In New York.” Ethan began to stumble on his words making Emily feel giddy. “I just…uh…” Emily didn’t let him finish. She moved the small distance between them and lightly placed her lips on his. She didn’t give Ethan time to react to the kiss before she pulled away quickly. 

“Was it something like that?” Emily was proud of how flustered Ethan looked. His cheeks were red and his lips were open to show his shock. She began to laugh which broke his trance. 

“Shut up shorty.” Emily was ready to respond with a sassy comeback but Ethan’s lips wouldn’t let her. This time his hand lightly grabbed her face and brought her closer. No words needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave feedback! I have an epilogue planned, it make take a big of time to perfect. Thank you!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read my work. This will be multiple chapters and will explore Richie and Eddie's relationship. I would really appreciate if you could leave a comment about how you liked it or anything really.


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